Educational outreach activities are focused on local elementary, middle and high schools, as well as undergraduate transfer students coming from local community colleges to UC San Diego and San Diego State University.

The San Diego Center for Systems Biology aims to foster Systems Biology by bringing together scientist across disciplines and institutions to promote collaborative research and training, and the exchange of ideas and resources around Systems Biology. A central goal of the Center is to promote the advancement of Systems Biology via Educational Outreach. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SDCSB SURF) is designed to introduce motivated undergraduate students who plan to major in math, physics, bioengineering, or computer science to cutting-edge biological research. This program aims to bridge the gap from attending a community college to actively participating in a working research laboratory at the University level, while fostering a broader knowledge of Systems Biology. Ultimately, this Program will provide students with an increased confidence in their abilities to work in a research setting and raise their awareness of Systems Biology and the opportunities available in the emerging field.

In addition, our Center participates in the high profile San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering as an academic sponsor. In partnership with the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering, SDCSB supports K-12 STEM education by helping students from local schools to attend or participate in the festival. Our Center also brings K-12 students to the UC San Diego’s campus for a day filled with science discovery and fun activities prior to the festival expo day.

San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering

The San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering is a week long event that seeks to bring professional scientists and engineers in contact with students of all ages. The mission of this event is to demonstrate the variety of careers that are possible, and to engage and encourage kids in science and engineering, as well as work with parents and teachers to inspire today’s students to become tomorrow’s STEM innovators (science, technology, engineering, and math).

The week-long festival and year-round activities embrace the STEM community with the shared goal of inspiring the next generation of innovators and researchers, and creating opportunities for students from all backgrounds to participate in hands-on activities, meet scientists and learn how recent discoveries and research affect our daily life. Most of the events are offered at no cost to participants. 

The festival is specifically designed to expand the general public’s understanding of how relevant and important STEM is to our everyday lives, illuminate why the U.S. must maintain its leadership role in science and technology, and motivate students to become tomorrow’s science and technology leaders.