Schedule and Workshops

Schedule

2026 Attendee Workshops

Let it Glow!

How do glow sticks work? Why do fireflies glow in the dark? Come discover the wonderful world of chemiluminescence and bioluminescence!

Wave Wars! What Happens When Waves Collide?

Waves aren’t just in the ocean—they’re everywhere! In this workshop, you’ll create waves with water, ropes, and sound and watch what happens when they meet. Some waves help each other, some cancel out, and all of them have cool science behind them.

Genetics & You

Learn about genetics and extract DNA from a strawberry

Lasers and Brains: Combining the world of physics and neuroscience

The world of neuroscience uses laser to study how our brain works. Here will align lasers and study there effect with specialized optics and we will image a brain slice. This will allows us to see neuron up close!

Colorful Cabbage Chemistry

Acids and bases are all around us! Scientists measure how acidic or basic things are with numbers on a scale called the pH scale. The colorful compound in red cabbage is a natural pH indicator, so we can use it to explore the pH of foods and other household substances! We will be learning about what makes things acidic or basic, what happens when you mix acids and bases, and how to measure them!

Brain Lab Adventure: The Secret of Feeling Happy

Join me for a fun and interactive adventure into how your brain creates happiness. We’ll explore the dopamine system—the tiny chemical signals that help you learn, feel joy, and get excited! Through hands-on activities, you’ll discover the secret behind how your brain stays motivated and how scientists study these “happy signals” in the lab :)

Secret Science: Make Your Own Invisible Ink!

Join us for a hands-on science adventure where you’ll create secret messages and reveal them using heat and color-changing reactions! Learn how scientists use special helpers called catalysts to make chemical reactions happen faster. Come discover the magic of invisible ink—and the science behind it!

Harnessing the Power of Nature to Keep the San Francisco Bay Clean

Students will discover how tiny microbes help clean water by exploring colorful Winogradsky columns that show different microbial layers. Then they’ll build a miniature horizontal levee using gravel, woodchips, and soil to see how nature-based water treatment works. By the end, they’ll learn how these systems use natural processes to help protect the San Francisco Bay and the communities around it.

Creative Coding

Ever wondered how you can bring your ideas to life on a computer? In this workshop, you’ll get an exciting, hands-on and fun introduction to programming. You’ll create your very own interactive animation! Along the way, you’ll see how coding helps you solve problems, express creativity, and collaborate with others. By the end, you’ll have something cool to show off and the confidence to keep exploring what computer science can do. No experience needed—just bring your imagination!

Protect The Pill

Have you ever wondered why there are different types of medication? In this workshop, you will be biomedical engineers designing protective coating on pills that can safely pass through our digestive system. You will learn the relationship between medication and your stomach.

Slime Time! Discover the Magic of Polymers.

What do humans, plastics, and slime have in common? We all contain polymers! In this workshop, we'll explore the science behind polymer reactions by making slime from simple household ingredients.

Simple Machines and Mechanics

Gear up to be a mechanic and have a hands-on experience learning about pulleys, levers, inclined planes and gears and solve a small engineering problem at the end! We'll also explore the science behind how they work, and how to identify these simple machines in things that they use and see everyday.

The Science of Separation

How can we separate substances we can’t even see? Scientists often find themselves needing to pull specific substances out of a “dirty” mixture, whether it’s a certain protein they need for their experiments or a drug they need to make sure is free of dangerous contaminants. In this workshop, you’ll learn about several of the clever techniques used to separate compounds, their applications across a variety of STEM fields, and attempt a chromatographic separation of your own to solve a colorful mystery: the case of the stolen pen!

Cracking the genetic code

Students will learn about the molecule of life, DNA, and how it contains all the necessary information that makes all life forms. Using interactive 3D models of DNA, students will work in small teams and compete to decode DNA into protein sequences. These young science explorers will learn how scientists are using novel gene editing tools like CRISPR to fix typos in DNA and cure diseases.

Hands on Prosthetics and Orthotics

Learn about the world of Prosthetics and Orthotics with UCSF. Prostheses are essential devices for amputees to accomplish the daily tasks that we subconsciously do. Orthotics support the body from the ground up controlling motion and improving biomechanics. Understand the basic mechanics of a prosthesis and orthosis, how they work, determine the function, and build one yourself.

Unseen Forces: Polarity in Action

Polarity works around us at all time, from the way we cook to the way our body works. In this workshop, you'll learn how to bend water using static electricity, use water and markers to make colorful flowers from coffee filters, and cut open some diapers to see what makes them work.

Spider Science

Why are people afraid of spiders when they are so helpful and cool? Join spider scientists and learn all about the wonderful world of spiders through hands on activities, looking at hidden pictures, using spider models, and more. You might even see some spiders sing and dance!

Weigh Your DNA!

Scientists need a quick and easy way to analyze DNA sample identity. Join us for a hands-on case study to learn how scientists weighed patient DNA to test for COVID-19 infections.

Parent Workshops

The parent workshop is in VLSB 2040.