Discover What’s Beneath Your Feet—and Why It Matters

At the Lawrence Hall of Science, a new kind of research experience is giving local teens the chance to explore science from the ground up—literally.

Through the East Bay Academy for Young Scientists (EBAYS), students learn how science can help them make a difference right in their own neighborhoods. EBAYS brings hands-on STEM opportunities to Bay Area youth and focuses on empowering students to protect the places they call home.

This winter, students in grades 7–12 can join the Lead Mapping Project: Lead Exposure in Alameda County, a weeklong adventure in environmental science. Participants will collect and test soil samples, use scientific tools, and help build a community map that shows where lead may be unrecognized in our neighborhoods.

EBAYS works to make science feel welcoming and accessible for all students. By creating spaces where young people’s voices and experiences matter, the program helps participants see themselves as scientists—not someday, but right now.

Unlike typical science classes, the project focuses on a problem that directly affects many Bay Area neighborhoods: lead contamination. The program helps students connect the dots between environmental health, social justice, and their own communities.

“The Lead Mapping Project provides opportunities for students to engage in authentic scientific research that directly addresses environmental health problems impacting their lives along with those of their families and fellow community members,” said Kevin Cuff, Director of EBAYS. “It intentionally highlights the social and environmental justice dimensions of students’ scientific research, which enables them to develop a greater understanding of the potential benefits of using scientific practices as tools for overall community growth and development.”

Lead contamination remains a concern across the Bay Area, especially in parts of Oakland where older buildings, historic paint use, and past redlining practices have created lasting exposure risks. More than 100 census tracts in Alameda County rank among the highest in California for lead contamination risk—a reminder that this is not just a problem of the past.

Cuff explained that when students investigate these issues firsthand, they see how science reveals the stories behind public health data, and how their findings can help families stay informed and safe.

“Data and insight generated through participation in the Lead Mapping Project will contribute directly to addressing this ongoing crisis, which exists at the intersection of public health, social, and environmental justice,” Cuff said.

Providing science experiences linked to real-world issues, Cuff added, is what makes EBAYS so meaningful for young people.

“The learning context provided by EBAYS programming encourages the contributions of youth participants, which enables them to develop a stronger sense of themselves as competent science practitioners and capable scientific thinkers,” he said.

For more than fifteen years, EBAYS has partnered with community organizations across the Bay Area to bring high-quality STEM learning opportunities to under-resourced schools and communities of color. Through programs like the Lead Mapping Project, the team hopes to make science feel welcoming, relevant, and empowering — especially for students who may not always see themselves reflected in traditional STEM settings.

For many participants, that connection has been transformative. One former student from East Oakland reflected on how the program shaped his outlook:

“If school taught me how justice and science go together like this, I’d still be in school,” said DeAndre, a past participant.

Another student, Emma, shared how the experience inspired her own path:

“The program allowed me to learn about environmental justice, but more importantly, it helped me figure out the kind of person I want to become.”

Cuff says those moments of discovery are what EBAYS is all about.

“Participation in the program will increase youth confidence in their ability to find and pursue science jobs, as well as enhance their technical, analytical, and collaborative skill levels, which together will better prepare them for possible future STEM careers,” he shared.

The Lead Mapping Project runs December 29–31, 2025, and January 2, 2026, from 1:00–5:00 p.m. at the Lawrence Hall of Science. Tuition is $800, and registration is open now. If you can’t make these dates, don’t worry—more EBAYS programs will be offered in the spring and summer!

Join the movement for environmental justice through STEM—and help map a cleaner, safer Bay Area, one soil sample at a time!