Outreach Events

Workshops And Conferences

STEP has participated in a number of workshops and conferences in the Los Angeles area. Our team members have spoken not only about our program, but also about career opportunities and career paths in STEM, the importance of science education as a whole, and the particular importance of science education at the elementary level. We have also done workshops on “kitchen science,” engaging children with hands-on science activities they can do at home and providing parents with sample activities, emphasizing the importance of sparking curiosity through science experiments at home.

Past conferences

• Tech Savvy Workshop at Pasadena City College (2018 and 2019)
• Adelante Mujer Latina (AML) Conference (presented in 2017, provided materials for CCARE team to present in 2018).

If you would like a STEP team member to speak at your conference, please email Marisa Bowers at [email protected]

Classroom Presentations

STEP has visited many classrooms in schools around LA at the request of both students and teachers. Our presentations primarily focus on teaching students about science with hands-on activities and speaking to students about potential career paths in the sciences. We frequently teach students about science concepts, usually beginning with a short lecture and then transitioning to an engaging hands-on activity. The topic and activity varies considerably based on grade level, but could include learning about DNA by making DNA bracelets with younger students or learning about diagnosing breast cancer by doing a mock microarray analysis with older students.

During our presentations, we usually also speak with students about our own career paths and possible careers in STEM fields. This is aimed at increasing their knowledge of what they can pursue in STEM and at encouraging them to believe that anyone can be a scientist. In addition, we provide older students information about research internship programs and volunteer opportunities at City of Hope. Some schools we have visited include Applied Technology Center High School, LA County High School for the Arts, Valley View Elementary School, and Baldwin Park High School. 

If you would like a STEP team member to speak to your class, please email Danielle Guardado at [email protected]

Field Trips And Tours

STEP also participates in many field trips and tours of City of Hope. Tours are organized by City of Hope’s Visitor Services and vary due to participant age. Possible itinerary items are learning about the history of City of Hope, touring one of City of Hope’s state-of-the-art core facilities, and participating in a hands-on learning experience.

Some examples of educational experiences and related hands-on activities that STEP offers to students include learning about HIV/AIDS and conducting a mock ELISA as a diagnostic test, learning about diabetes and conducting a simulated urinalysis experiment, learning about DNA and making “genetic bracelets,” and learning about infectious disease and participating in the “handshake hazard” activity. STEP has also designed scavenger hunts around City of Hope for kindergarten through second grade students. We also frequently incorporate discussions of our career paths and possible STEM careers into our presentations and emphasize that anyone can be a scientist.

Some schools and organizations who have come to City of Hope include the New Harvest Christian School, Beardslee Elementary School, Sellers Elementary School, Aveson Global Leadership Academy, Duarte High School, and several Girl Scouts Troops.

If you want to bring your class or organization on a tour of City of Hope, please contact Visitor Services at [email protected].

City Of Hope Events

Community Science Festival 

The Community Science Festival was created with the following goals: 1) to bring community members onto the City of Hope campus, some for the first time ever; 2) to showcase City of Hope research; 3) to educate the community about science, research and the connection between research and health; 4) to engage kids (and adults!) in fun science-related activities; and 5) to inform students and families about the educational, internship and volunteer opportunities available to them through our grant-funded and institution-sponsored outreach activities.

The event specifically targets middle school age students and their families in order to foster an interest in and excitement about science for students from the surrounding communities. Many of the communities within  City of Hope's catchment area contain Title 1 schools whose students are primarily from minority populations. We believe it is important for all students to have opportunities to learn about and access science, and this event helps expand  City of Hope's outreach impact into many more communities.

The STEP team has helped to plan and organize each of the Community Science Festivals that have been held at City of Hope (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018). Our team coordinates the research presentations and stations, and plans and runs the hands-on experiment stations for the event.

Hope Experiment

City of Hope hosted the “Hope Experiment” in Santa Monica in 2016.

Members of the STEP team helped design content for the booth, and advised the Hope Experiment team on hands-on experiments and demonstrations that would best demonstrate the concepts being presented.

We also helped recruit and train presenters for the booth.

If you have any questions or want STEP to participate in a City of Hope event, please contact Marisa Bowers at [email protected].

Community Events

STEP also participates in events hosted by members of our community. For every event, we work to design an appropriate and topical hands-on activity or speech that is educational and relates to the event.

At these events, we typically work to inform community members about the education programs at City of Hope and offer hands-on science activities. Some past activities have included making a name bracelet in genetic code, comparing the amounts of Vitamin C in different juices, discussing healthy and unhealthy snacks by comparing sugar and fat amounts, constructing a balloon train car and an electromagnetic train, and making a solar powered oven out of a pizza box.

Some events we have participated in include 626 Golden Streets, City of Hope presents “Lakers Fit for Life,” Monrovia Area Partnership’s Neighborhood Conference, the Gold Line Opening, and the Sanitation Districts of LA County’s Earth Day Event. STEP team members have also served as science fair judges for local elementary and middle schools, and as Career Day speakers at local elementary schools.

If you have any questions or want STEP to participate in a City of Hope event, please contact Marisa Bowers at [email protected].