Talking face-to-face with researchers is an excellent way for middle- and high-school students to learn about the life of a scientist. One-day programs highlight exciting research areas of interest to high-school students and provide valuable information to students and their parents about the future in science and technology.
Participating in a summer research project is an even better way to learn about a researcher's road to scientific discovery. High-school students from all backgrounds can participate in the programs described. And for middle-school students and teachers from Los Angeles–area schools, Caltech co-hosts a robotics competition as an introduction to world of scientific and engineering communication.
the
Beckman Room PROV
By appointment only
archives@caltech.edu
The Beckman Institute celebrates nearly a century of Dr.
Arnold Beckman's remarkable life, and Caltech's equally illustrious history.
The exhibits in the Beckman Room are an introduction to this history,
and help visitors look forward to the future.
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Big Picture at Griffith Observatory
PMA
S. George Djorgovski
626.395.4415
Caltech scientists have produced the largest astronomical image ever
in order to inspire the public with the wonders of space exploration.
The image has been reproduced as a giant mural in the new exhibit hall
of the landmark Griffith
Observatory in Los Angeles, CA.
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California High
School Cosmic Ray Observatory (CHICOS) PMA
Questions and comments
The CHICOS program involves middle- and high-school students in a major
research project: the detection of cosmic rays. Schools in the Los Angeles
area provide the "net" of detector sites. Teachers and students
from the schools hosting the detectors visit Caltech for the training,
testing, and instruction needed to maintain the cosmic-ray detection
array. CHICOS now boasts over 70 installation sites, with more than a
dozen in the planning stages.
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Caltech
Institute Archives PROV
by appointment only
Judith R. Goodstein, University Archivist
The Institute Archives serves as the collective memory of Caltech by preserving
the papers, documents, artifacts and pictorial materials that tell the school's
history, from 1891 to the present. Researchers will also find here a wealth
of sources for the history of science and technology worldwide, stretching
from the time of Copernicus to today.
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Caltech Public Events PR
Denise Nelson Nash, Assistant Vice President
for Public Events
626.395.3841 : Publice Events Outreach Brochure
Caltech Public Events offers a variety of performing arts, lecture series, science programs and special events as well as programs for students in grades k-12. Arts education and science programs are offered during and after school, and on the weekends.
- Reel Science
- School Group Event PR
626.395.6059
A series of science programs featuring high definition movies, followed by discussions with Caltech scientists. Designed for school groups grades 5-12, these programs are held on various Friday mornings throughout the school year. A limited number of complimentary tickets are available for certain school districts through the generosity of the Connie Wei-Luen Kao Memorial Scholarship; please call for information.
- Jr.
Watson Program PR
Cara Stemen
626-395-3841
Interested and talented science high school students, identified by their teachers, are invited to participate in a private lab tour with selected lecturers from the Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series. Following the lab and campus tours, students are treated to dinner with a member of the lab group, then attend the Watson Lecture in Beckman Auditorium. - Cultural Expedition Program PR
626.395.4638
The Cultural Expedition Program is a collaborative program between Caltech's Public Events and the Pasadena Unified School District. The goals of the program are to explore different cultural traditions, discovering similarities and differences between them, and creating cultural bridges of appreciation. - School
Bus-ins and Theatreworks/USA PR
Mary Herrera
626-395-6059
Each year, a number of events are scheduled for school bus-ins. These 1-hour performances are held in Beckman Auditorium during school hours, and are presented by Caltech Public Events and Theatreworks/USA.
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Caltech Robotics Outreach Group (CROG) EAS
CROG is a Caltech student volunteer group that mentors k-12 students in robotics,
co-sponsors a robotics conference for middle school students, and volunteers
in local schools.
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Caltech
Streaming Theater PR
626.395.6327
This site houses streaming video of many of the programs that were available
to the Caltech community from 1999 to the present. Most of these events
took place on campus in Beckman Auditorium, and feature Caltech faculty,
students, or distinguished visiting speakers. Presentation categories:
Science and Technology, Campus Life, and Society and Culture.
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Caltech Y SA
Athena Castro, Executive Director
626.395.6163
The CaltechY is a unique nonprofit organization on the Caltech campus
that provides students with opportunities to serve the community through
volunteer efforts, and to learn about the needs of society through direct
participation in solving some of the complex problems facing society.
These students have provided the following services: tutoring
Pasadena Unified School District junior and senior high-school students,
volunteering at the Union Station shelter in Pasadena, and volunteering
at the Pasadena Public Library and Huntington Hospital.
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Center
for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering (CNSE) BI : EAS
Prof. Pietro Perona, Director
626.395.4867
CNSE Outreach is organized to INTRODUCE a wide cross-section of people to
CNSE research, INVOLVE them in the work we are doing, and EXCITE them about
the prospects of a future in science and engineering. The CNSE has a wide range
of programs designed to reach out to students of all ages and to members of
the community.
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Center
for the Science and Engineering of Materials (CSEM) EAS
Director: Prof. Harry Atwater
626.395.2197
Our outreach efforts include science education,
technology transfer, and interaction across the international materials science
community. Currently CSEM pursues four educational outreach programs that
enrich science education at the undergraduate, high-school and middle-school
levels, in particular reaching a large number of under-represented students.
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Chemistry Animation
Project (CAP) CCE
Prof. Nathan S. Lewis
1.800.514.BOOK
The Chemistry Animation Project presents CAP series, a collection of multimedia
products for use in high school and introductory college chemistry classrooms.
Animated using state-of-the-art computer hardware and software, each product
offers insight into chemical phenomena for teacher and pupil alike.
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Einstein
Papers Project HSS
by appointment
Diana Kormos Buchwald,
Director & General
Editor
626.395.8044
The Collected Papers provide the first complete picture of Einstein's massive
written legacy. Every document in The Collected Papers appears in the language
in which it was written, while the introduction, headnotes, footnotes, and
other scholarly apparatus are in English. Upon release of each volume, Princeton
University Press also publishes an English translation of previously untranslated
non-English documents.
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Earthquake
Research Affiliates (ERA) GPS
Margaret Vinci, Manager
626.395.6318
The ERA is involved with outreach projects within the community, to share
the new technology and information regarding earthquakes with critical users
and the public. October
- December and February - June, every 1st Tuesday and Thursday of each month
ERA conducts special tours for schools grades 6-12. They also provide innovative
activities for teachers to use in their classrooms.
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Financial Aid Office SA
Donald Crewell , Director
626.395.6280
The Caltech Financial Aid Office staff is available to answer questions about
completing financial aid applications and general question about the financial
aid needs analysis process. You should feel free to contact the Financial Aid
Office by telephone -- 626-395-6280 -- or e-mail -- finaid@caltech.edu. If
your questions would be best addressed in person, you should not hesitate to
contact the office to schedule an appointment.
The Caltech Educational Outreach Office is available to conduct, upon advance
request, informational workshops in the local community to help students and
their families plan for the expense of a college education. These sessions
offer topics including, but not limited to: College costs, the financial aid
equation, types of financial aid, tips on completing financial aid applications,
how to evaluate a financial aid award, and strategies for finding scholarship
funds.
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Freshman Summer
Institute (FSI) SA
Brandi Jones, Director; Office for Minority Student Education
626.395.6207
Incoming freshmen participate in a summer program designed to enhance the
transition from high school to a research-based education and to assist students
in developing learning behaviors that will help them excel at Caltech. FSI
participants are immersed in the core ideas and language of math and physics
while being taught strategies for navigating Caltech academic life.
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Infrared Processing
and Analysis Center (IPAC) PMA
George Helou, Executive Director
626.395.1919
Spitzer Science
Center (SSC)
Michelson
Science Center (MSC)
IPAC is NASA's multi-mission center of expertise for long-wavelength astrophysics. It is also the institutional home of the Spitzer Science Center and the Michelson Science Center, which share IPAC resources.
- Cool Cosmos PMA
Visit the IPAC Education and Public Outreach site, where students of all ages can learn about the fascinating world of infrared technology. Classroom activities, "Ask an Astronomer," images, videos, fun & games and resources, in English and Spanish.
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Jet Propulsion
Laboratory
Education Gateway
JPL's Education Office provides a wealth of resources for educators, students
of all ages, and the general public all with the goal of sharing NASA's missions
of discovery.
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On the radio at 9:19 a.m. and 7:04 p.m. at 89.3 KPCC FM, the program explains
the world of science to you with a dash of humor. Hosted by writer/performer
and Caltech alumna Sandra Tsing Loh, it's a program for those who love science
as well as those who avoid it.
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The Mechanical Universe... and Beyond PMA
1.800.Learner
Broadcast nationally by PBS, this critically acclaimed series of 52 thirty-minute
episodes is the basis of college-level physics. The series has been translated
into nine languages, and a Spanish language version is now available for the
high-school level.
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Off-campus Facilities (Observatories) GPS : PMA
Beyond Caltech's campus, there are many facilities that operate and participate in the collection of knowledge and discovery that has become synonymous with Caltech.
- Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO)
PMA
Big Bear City, CA
909.866.5791
- Big Bear Solar Observatory is located about 90 miles east of Pasadena at an elevation of 6700 ft. in the middle of Big Bear Lake. The facility is located in water to avoid disturbance of images by convection from ground heating, making it the world's premier site for observing the Sun. Open to the public. For school classes, call 909.866.5791 Ext. 19.
- Goldstone
Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC) JPL
Mojave Desert, CA- Goldstone is part of NASA's Deep
Space Network (DSN) which is an international
network of antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions and
selected Earth-orbiting missions, as well as radio and radar astronomy
observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe.
The network is a facility of NASA, and is managed and operated by JPL.
- Goldstone is part of NASA's Deep
Space Network (DSN) which is an international
network of antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions and
selected Earth-orbiting missions, as well as radio and radar astronomy
observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe.
The network is a facility of NASA, and is managed and operated by JPL.
- Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) PMA
Big Pine, CA
Reservations & directions call 760.938.2114
- OVRO is the largest university-operated
radio observatory in the world. Located near Bishop,
California, approximately 250 miles north of Los Angeles on the east
side of the Sierra Nevada, tours are offered the first Monday of every
month, excluding holidays.
- OVRO is the largest university-operated
radio observatory in the world. Located near Bishop,
California, approximately 250 miles north of Los Angeles on the east
side of the Sierra Nevada, tours are offered the first Monday of every
month, excluding holidays.
- Palomar
Observatory PMA
Palomar Mountain, CA
760.742.2119- The Palomar Observatory is perhaps the world's most famous
astronomical observatory. Since the 1930's it has been, and continues
to be, a center of astronomical research. Open to the public
daily (except for December 24 & 25).
- The Palomar Observatory is perhaps the world's most famous
astronomical observatory. Since the 1930's it has been, and continues
to be, a center of astronomical research. Open to the public
daily (except for December 24 & 25).
- W.
M. Keck Observatory PMA
Mauna Kea, HI
808.885.7887
- The W. M. Keck Observatory, situated on Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, offers many educational programs and services to help families, educators, students, residents and hobbyists in North and West Hawaii better understand and appreciate the field of astronomy. Free tours Sat & Sun, Onizuka Visitor Information Station.
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Project Mathematics! PMA
Tom Apostol
1.800.514.BOOK
This Caltech-based project has produced award-winning videotaped modules that
use computer animation to help instructors teach basic mathematical concepts
to high-school and community college students. They bring mathematics to life
with imaginative computer animation, live action, music, special effects, and
a sense of humor.
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Seismo
Lab Tours GPS
By Appointment
626.395.6327
The Seismological Laboratory is the working environment of the people that
study earthquakes. The tour visits the Exhibit Center and the Media Room and
includes discussion on how scientists gather information, study earthquakes
and use this information to understand our earth.
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ShakeZone! EAS : GPS
Kidzone, Riverside County Youth Museum,
Hemet CA
951.765-1223
ShakeZone is the outreach component of the CUREE/Caltech
Woodframe Project. A hands-on earthquake education exhibit currently
installed at the Riverside County Youth Museum - Kidzone. ShakeZone!
provides positive messages about studying the Earth and
preparing our buildings and ourselves for damaging earthquakes.
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Tectonics
Observatory (TO) GPS
Jean-Philippe Avouac, Director
626.395.8439
The TO brings the diverse range of skills represented by 15 faculty spanning
geophysics, geology and geochemistry to bear on a carefully selected set of
key questions. The ultimate goal is to provide a new view of how and why
the earth's crust and lithosphere are deforming over timescales ranging from
a few tens of seconds, the typical duration of an earthquake, to tens of million
of years.
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Undergraduate
Admissions SA
Rick Bischoff, Director
626.395.8375
Caltech offers undergraduates a first-class scientific education, virtually
unlimited research opportunities, and a culturally diverse community.
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United
States Geological Survey (USGS) GPS
Contact
list
The Pasadena, CA USGS Field Office conducts research and promotes activities
to reduce earthquake hazards in southern California. The Office works with
Caltech and the California Geological Survey (CGS) operating the TriNet seismic
network to monitor earthquake activity and provide information for earthquake
response.
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Young Engineering and
Science Scholars (YESS) SA
Brandi Jones, Director, Office
for Minority Student Education
626.395.6207
The YESS program offers a unique opportunity for high school students to be
immersed in a curriculum focusing on both academics and research. Students
will work alongside Caltech students and faculty in multiple areas of science
and engineering to experience the culture and methodology of the science professional.
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