Our Mission
We provide inspiring, innovative, high-quality science experiences to the preschool and elementary school children who need them most.
Teaching
We make science awesome for students through experiential activities and a rigorous science curriculum.
Training
We help teachers & school districts build sustainable internal capacity for high-quality science education.
Engaging
We train scientists & STEM professionals to serve as role models and mentors to underprivileged youth.
Science is Elementary (SiE) was founded in 2008 by Tzipor Ulman, a Stanford chemistry PhD and a lifelong science education volunteer.
SiE began with just two pilot lessons and a handful of enthusiastic scientists and engineers who shared the vision and volunteered their time to bring exciting hands-on experiments to local underserved elementary school classrooms.
Since then we’ve impacted more than 20,000 students, trained over 1,000 scientists and engineers as mentors to low-income youth, and helped hundreds of teachers improve their science teaching.
Our philosophy
Science is Awesome:
Science is both cool and awe-inspiring. Throughout the year, students discover first-hand how the world works by being active participants in our highly interactive hands-on lessons. We foster learning through inquiry - students ask questions, make observations, and put their ideas to the test.
Small group instruction and individual interactions with educators and volunteers make for a personalized learning environment that leads to a high level of critical thinking. Our scientist-educators and volunteers are the perfect role models to create an infectious passion and motivation for students to continue exploring the world around them.
Science is for Everyone
All student identities and experiences are honored and integrated into our instruction. We are responsive to the needs, heritage, culture, and community of our students. We promote equity and inclusion by using local, historical, and cultural contexts, as well as what each individual child brings to school. We draw on our students' language, ideas, and interests to create authentic opportunities for learning.
We constantly ensure that students hear their own voices while practicing science. We firmly believe that everyone can achieve high standards for learning science.
Science is Everywhere
Children are curious. Our program honors and nurtures this curiosity, helping students to explore their observations and questions about how the world works. We foster hands-on learning opportunities throughout our curriculum and instruction. Our experiments in physical sciences and engineering enable students to make interdisciplinary connections that weave together concepts and skills across content areas.
Leadership
Pairing deep knowledge in the fields of science & education with passion for our mission.
Staff
Bringing our background in science and passion for working with students to the job every day.
Board
A diverse group of professionals who share our passion for teaching scientific thinking to the next generation.
Advisors
Board Emeritus
We’re thankful for their support throughout our years.
Interested in joining our team?
We are committed to building a diverse team of professionals. We seek talented, driven individuals with a passion for sciences and improving educational outcomes for low-income students. We are looking for experienced individuals to help us reach new levels of success. If you want to be a part of an innovative, creative, and dedicated team of people, Science is Elementary is the place for you.