Sally Ride Science

Nonprofit run by the University of California, San Diego

Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego is a nonprofit run by the University of California, San Diego. It was founded as a company in 2001 by Sally Ride, America's first woman in space, along with Tam O'Shaughnessy, Karen Flammer, Terry McEntee, and Alann Lopes to inspire young people in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and to promote STEM literacy. Sally Ride Science was relaunched as a non profit at UC San Diego on October 1, 2015. It is based at UC San Diego Extension, and its programs are coordinated jointly by UC San Diego Extension, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and San Diego Supercomputer Center. O'Shaughnessy is executive director and Flammer is director of education for Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego.

Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego focuses on professional development for teachers; K 12 STEM + Arts (STEAM) education, including courses, lectures, and camps; and online programs through UCTV. Another major existing program is Key Concepts in Science. This integrated standards based program provides professional development for educators on how to teach science using the 5E instructional model, along with classroom resources (student books, hands on investigations, teacher guides, and assessments) that educators can use to build students’ STEM literacy and college and career readiness. The program reflects research showing that teaching fewer science concepts in greater depth gives students a solid foundation to develop STEM literacy.

Before its acquisition by UC San Diego, Sally Ride Science implemented a variety of STEM related educational initiatives.