East Bay Academy for Young Scientists

Based at the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley, the East Bay Academy for Young Scientists (EBAYS) serves youth from local East Bay communities where schools are under-resourced and have a large proportion of students of color. EBAYS engages youth in innovative, hands-on science research investigations that examine problems of soil, water, and air quality within their communities. It then develops new knowledge through innovative research that can be widely used in community struggles for environmental and social justice. Since 2013, for example, the Research Group has led various research and evaluation studies to examine the implementation and impact of the EBAYS program, which most recently was presented at the American Education Research Association 2019 Annual Meeting, announcing programs such as:

Clean Energy Literacy and Leadership- Engaging Youth in and After School, (PDF, 143KB )

Fostering Environmental Activism Through Community Based Research Investigations (PDF, 123KB )

Currently, with funding from the National Science Foundation (Award #1720585), the Research Group is leading a four-year study, “Schoolyard Scientists: An Investigation of Impacts Associated with Urban Youth Engagement in Participatory Scientific Research Activities.” In the study, the Research Group works in close partnership with local students, teachers, school districts, and EBAYS itself to develop, implement, and examine participatory science-learning experiences for youth living in urban communities around the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly the East Bay. The study examines the impact of participatory science research (PSR) activities on youths’ interests in and identification with STEM, and further explores how such experiences support student learning.