The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Daily 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Closed December 24 & 25 Open New Year’s Day View Additional Hours >
We’ll bring our science programs to you.
We partner with school districts to support science learning. We offer district-wide elementary, middle, and high school programs, either virtually or in-person.
We collaborate with a range of partners to innovate in science education. Together, we go further.
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Are you interested in the fields of Biology and Ecology? Step into the shoes of an ecologist and learn how scientists are studying and protecting ecosystems in the face of climate change and increasing wildfires. Your days will be filled with learning and practicing various field research methods to observe and study organisms and their interactions, biodiversity, and the health of ecosystems. You will be able to design and conduct your own field-based research investigation. This program also includes downtime, hikes, and other social activities to make new friends. Join us to gain skills, knowledge, and insight into the field of terrestrial ecology while adding valuable experience to your college and career pathways.
Parents are invited at 10 a.m. on the last day for teens to share their projects.
Session 3: 07/13/2025 – 07/19/2025 Residential only at UC Santa Cruz
Wake-up! Prepare for the day & enjoy breakfast together
Opening Circle- group check-in and framing the day
Explore STEM concepts and hands-on investigations in your track
Learning and Practicing observation Skills
Lunch break in campus cafeteria or packed lunch out in the field Social time with teens from other tracks
Continued investigations and explorations in your track
Various lab tours and guest speakers
Closing Circle- reflection prompts and preview of what’s ahead
Clean up & enjoy some well deserved downtime
Dinner
Evening program- Night Hike, Campus or other tours, Meet and talk to current college students, Meet and talk to professionals from a range of STEM career fields
Lights Out!
No, we do not provide transportation to and from the U.C. Santa Cruz campus. Parents or legal guardians must arrange to drop off or pick up their teens. More detailed information will be provided after registration for the program.
Once on-site, transportation for programming needs is provided for the duration of the program.
Each day includes various activities, starting with morning opening, breakfast, and science activities and investigations, followed by lunch, downtime, social time, and special evening activities. See the section “A day in the life” for more info.
Teens need to be able to walk to and from investigation sites near the ocean and over sand and rocks. For Field Ecology, this may include through forest and brush. The weather can change from one day to the next, so be prepared for a range of clothing needs. It’s always a good idea to have clothing that can get dirty when we are outdoors.
Accommodations at the U.C. Santa Cruz campus are student dorm-style rooms that are triple-occupancy with shared gender-specific bathrooms. Our program instructors are housed in the same buildings as the participants. A third gender-neutral restroom will also be available to youth who prefer that option.
Meals are served in the style of a student dining room. Campus staff provide two cooked meals (breakfast and dinner), plus supplies for a packed lunch each day. With prior notice, they can also accommodate most dietary requirements. In addition, we will provide snacks.
Yes, absolutely! We plan the week to allow for plenty of teen social time throughout the day and every evening, including meeting teens from the adjacent research track.
Cell coverage is unpredictable at all the sites visited during this program. That said, we will have Wi-Fi access at certain times, based on location and activities.
You will receive a packing list once registered for the program, along with the name of a contact person to answer any questions you have.
We do not provide transportation to and from the airport. It would be best to make those arrangements with plenty of transition time. Partial participation is not allowed.
We can’t tell you how to spend your summer vacation. That said, we require the parents and/or designated legal guardians to be accessible to contact and available for a pick up in case of emergency. Perhaps the Everest trek can wait for another week during your summer.
Maru Shapiro
Maru Shapiro attended UC Santa Cruz for her undergraduate degree in Environmental science. She is particularly excited about hydrology and ocean science, and spent much of her time in undergrad thinking about particulate carbon in the Pacific ocean and studying how melting ice sheets in Antarctica impact ocean systems.
Maru is originally from the Sacramento area and in her free time she likes to play with her cat and play piano.