On June 8, 2026, the General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation announced awards of $47,500 in funding to 13 organizations and programs to improve K-12 STEM education. 

1. $2,500 to A Step Beyond for their World of Work Program
Funds will expand its World of Work program during the 2026-27 program year.  The funds will support a partnership with Project NEXT to place a part-time Career Coach at ASB’s campus, serving 117 high school students from Escondido and San Marcos. ASB serves 240 students (expanding to 300 by fall 2027) from 13 Title I elementary schools in North Inland San Diego County. The student population is 95% Latina/o, with average family income of $37,000. Over half speak English as a second language. Through World of Work Career simulation labs, including drone and flight technology, biomedical engineering, and structural engineering, ASB students access a rich array of instruction, resources, and materials to gain a greater understanding of these fields/disciplines, the nature of specific careers within them, and the educational requirements. Students will gain exposure to real-world opportunities through career chats, networking events, and college and career site visits. Our students receive work-based learning experiences in STEAM industries throughout the school year, which include career awareness and exploration opportunities as early as the 3rd grade and throughout their ten years at ASB. These opportunities include two-day career simulation lessons for our 3rd-5th grade students six times per school year, periodic career nights or fairs, and industry themed projects with interaction and mentorship from professionals. ASB maintains a 100% high school graduation rate, with approximately 95% of graduates entering higher education or career-track training programs in their first post-high school year.

2. $10,000 to Chapter One  for their Reading Program
Funding for Foundation core Chapter One reading tutoring program for the 2026-2027 school year.  Supports up to 20 GA staff each tutoring a first- grade student.

3. $2,500 to ArtsBusXpress for STEM field trip transportation
Funds will support transportation for STEM-focused field trips serving San Diego County students during the 2026-2027 school year. The funding will provide bus transportation for approximately 300-600 students, about 90%  from underserved Title I schools, to visit STEM learning destinations including the Fleet Science Center, Birch Aquarium, San Diego Aerospace Museum, and the Thinkabit Lab at Qualcomm. ABX partners with these institutions to offer free or reduced admission, making the transportation funding critical to access. Many students have never visited these educational venues despite living nearby. The field trips expose students to STEM careers, reinforce classroom science standards, and expand student’s sense of possibility. Teachers report increased student engagement and curiosity following these experiences. For many participants, these trips represent their first exposure to marine biology, aerospace technology, or hands-on science exhibits. The program removes the financial barrier that prevents schools from accessing these learning opportunities, with bus costs typically ranging from $400-800 per trip—often prohibitive for schools serving low-income families.  Any public or charter school from any of San Diego County’s 42 school districts can participate; 24 were served in 2025.  ABX has connected over 250,000 students with learning experience since 2002.

4. $4,000 to San Diego Fleet Week Foundation for transportation to Student STEM Days
Funds will support Student STEM Days 2026, scheduled for November 6 at Naval Base San Diego and November 10, 12, and 13 at Broadway Pier. The funding will offset transportation costs (buses) and administrative expenses for the program, which brings students in grades 5-12 to interactive exhibits featuring robotics, drones, virtual/augmented reality, medical technology, biotech, and meteorology. Participating organizations include military commands (such as NIWC, Coast Guard, USMC, Naval Aviation Depot North Island) and companies (such as General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, GD NASSCO, BAE Ship Systems). The program specifically targets underserved communities by subsidizing bus transportation for schools requiring financial support. Participation from schools in underserved areas has grown from six schools in 2018 to thirteen in 2024. Overall participation has expanded significantly: from 2,074 students in 2018 to 4,214 students from 54 schools in 2024, with bus costs increasing from $6,500 to $23,816. The program appeals to both college-bound students and those exploring technical careers not requiring degrees, with organizations like Blue Forge Alliance and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers showcasing skilled trade opportunities. The November 6 event at Naval Base San Diego is expected to attract approximately 5,000 students, primarily from South Bay communities.

5. $2,500 to Redeemer’s Grace Church for their Science Camp
Funds will support RGC Science Camp: “Created To Create,” scheduled for June 22-26, 2026, in San Diego. The camp targets 100 students in grades 1-9 from diverse backgrounds across San Diego County. The camp is being advertised across San Diego County. The five-day curriculum covers aeronomy, aerology, aerodynamics, aerospace engineering, and culminates in student demonstrations. Students are divided into three age groups (grades 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9) with age-appropriate experiments tailored to each level. Each day, all three groups will learn about the same general topic while scientific demonstratives and experiments will be tailored to each group. Funding will be used to purchase supplies and materials for the demonstratives and experiments that explore the topic of the day. The camp has operated since 2021, previously serving 51-77 students annually. This year’s expansion aims to reach 100 students of all backgrounds, providing hands-on STEM experiences. Students will receive lab notebooks and apply the scientific method by making observations, creating hypotheses, and recording results.  The camp will also be taken to El Salvador. Proposal submitted by GA-ASI electrical test engineer, Joseph Wu.

6. $10,000 to Children’s Museum of Discovery for their Access for All STEM Workshop Scholarships
Funds will support “Access for All” STEM Workshop Scholarships for the period May 1, 2026 – June 1, 2027.  The funds will underwrite 30 free STEM workshops delivered through CMoD’s Mobile Children’s Museum and on-site programs, serving approximately 750 preschool–5th grade students in San Diego County. Priority will be given to geographically under-resourced and economically disadvantaged communities, including Title 1 and similar high-need schools in districts such as Escondido Union, Vista Unified, Carlsbad Unified, Oceanside Unified, and rural districts including Julian, Borrego Springs, and Warner Springs, as well Head Start preschools. 
Workshops will be standards-based (aligned with California Common Core, Next Generation Science Standards, Visual and Performing Arts Standards, and Preschool Learning Foundations) and will focus on hands-on STEM and art activities that build specific skills such as spatial reasoning, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and decision-making. 
The funding will remove both financial and transportation barriers by supporting mobile delivery directly to school and community sites that cannot afford field trips or program fees. Impacts supported by this funding include increased exposure to structured STEM learning for students who otherwise receive little or no STEM instruction, and practical modeling of classroom-ready STEM activities for teachers who lack resources or training to implement such lessons on their own.

7. $2,500 to U.S. Drone Soccer Association for its High School Drone Soccer STEM Program
The U.S. Drone Soccer Association (USDSA) is requesting funds for general operating support for a 12‑month period in 2026 to sustain and expand its high school drone soccer STEM program, with a focus on underserved and economically disadvantaged communities, including Title 1 schools in Southern California.  Funds will cover core administrative and program functions such as competition oversight, educator support, grant development, and coordination of a national network of 338 existing schools and youth organizations, with a planned expansion to 120 additional sites by the end of 2026. Support will also maintain curriculum and training delivered through USDSA’s Learning Management System and enable participation in the International Science and Technology Institute (ISTI) conference for educators.  These activities will directly support drone-based STEM learning that prepares high school students—particularly those from under-resourced schools—for FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certification once they turn 16, and for technical roles in aerospace and aviation. Students will build, maintain, and fly competition drones, work in teams under time and performance pressure, and engage in repeated engineering design cycles that mirror real aerospace workflows. This work is intended to increase the number of students from Title 1 and underserved schools who gain concrete technical, problem‑solving, and team-based experience relevant to future UAS, engineering, and aviation careers.

8. $2,500 to Meridian Conference JW for their December 2026 Leadership and Career Conference
Funds will be used July–December 2026 to support its December 2026 free leadership and career conference for 400 first-generation and underrepresented high school students from Ventura and Los Angeles counties, including students from eight Oxnard Union High School District Title 1 schools: Adolfo Camarillo, Channel Islands, Hueneme, Oxnard, Oxnard Middle College High, Pacifica, Rancho Campana, and Rio Mesa. Approximately $4,500 will fund a hands-on Aerospace Engineering Design Lab held during the December 2026 conference. In rotating cohorts of 50–60 students, teams will design, build, and test paper gliders over 45-minute sessions, using cardstock, balsa, tape, and measuring tools. Aerospace and engineering professionals will lead each session, explicitly connecting the activity to real-world aerodynamics, engineering workflows, and aerospace/aviation careers. Lab materials and facilitation guides will be reusable for future cohorts. Approximately $3,000 will fund printed, take-home pathway guides for students. These documents will list specific STEM vocational and technical options, including Ventura College and Oxnard College engineering and technical programs, Oxnard Union High School District Regional Occupational Program courses in applied technology and manufacturing, the California Apprenticeship Initiative, and contacts at regional aerospace and defense employers. The goal is to give Title 1 and underserved students concrete, step-by-step routes into aerospace, engineering, and technical trades, with named programs, timelines, and local points of contact.

9. $3,500 to Leah’s Pantry for their San Diego School Garden Program
Funds will support our San Diego School Garden Program during the 2026–2027 school year. The funds will primarily cover personnel time to develop, pilot, and refine new Weather and Atmospheric Science modules, and to deliver monthly garden-based STEM classes.
The new modules will use anemometers, laser thermometers, barometers, rain gauges, digital microscopes, and refractometers so students can measure wind speed, temperature, air pressure, and precipitation, and record and analyze their own weather data. This is intended to move students from simply hearing about weather to collecting and interpreting quantitative information about local atmospheric conditions. The program will serve at least 2,500 existing elementary students plus an additional 300 students at Title 1 schools in San Diego’s Promise Zone and City Heights neighborhoods during 2026–2027. At these schools, 85–99% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, many are English learners, and many have experienced significant adversity. The funded activities will provide these students with regular, standards-aligned, hands-on science instruction in an outdoor “living laboratory,” directly linking weather and climate concepts to their schoolyard environment. GA Scientist Bill Capinski serves as our informal science advisor, ensuring our lessons maintain technical rigor.

10. $2,500 to Asian Culture & Media Alliance for their Digital Media and STEAM Program
The Asian Culture & Media Alliance (ACMA) is requesting funds to sustain its L.E.A.D. (Learn, Engage, Advocate, Document) Digital Media & STEAM Program from January 1 to June 30, 2026. L.E.A.D. is a year-round initiative providing STEAM concepts to underserved high school students through imaging science, audio physics, lighting technology, digital storytelling, and creative problem-solving education. The requested funds will cover six months of operating expenses for ACMA’s Media Arts Training Center, where L.E.A.D workshops are held twice weekly and where students access professional equipment, STEAM instruction, and a safe, supportive learning environment.  During the funded period, L.E.A.D. aims to serve approximately 800 students from low-income communities. L.E.A.D introduces youth to the science and technology behind media production while fostering creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. The program is delivered through free twice-weekly workshops at ACMA’s training facility, along with mobile sessions offered at schools and nonprofit partner sites, all using professional, hands-on equipment. The curriculum introduces students to the basics of lighting, sound, camera work, and digital editing, along with emerging creative technologies. Students also learn visual storytelling, composition, and design, connecting technical skills with creative decision making. In 2026, L.E.A.D is projected to serve approximately youth ages 15–26 from underserved racial, cultural, immigrant, foster, and homeless communities across SDUSD, Sweetwater, Escondido, and regional charter networks—many of whom have limited or no access to technology education.

11. $1,500 to Autism Tree for their STEAM Education and Workforce Readiness Programs
Funds will support and expand their STEAM education and workforce readiness programs over a 12-month period. These programs aim to provide technical skills, social development, and college and career preparation for underserved students.  The funding will directly benefit over 250 children and teens, ages 2–24, with over 65% from low to middle income households through the following initiatives:
Autism Advance Workshops: Individualized sessions focused on college applications, job searches, resume writing, and interview skills, led by a professional with autism.
Coding Program: Introductory computer science and problem-solving classes using curriculum developed by Code.org, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.
Girls in STEM: Activities designed to build teamwork and confidence while introducing girls with autism to STEM fields.
LEGO Playgroup: Structured LEGO-based therapy sessions that promote communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and social inclusion.
Internship Program: Paid internships with local employers, including Qualcomm and Caterpillar, providing teens with autism critical job training and experience.
These programs will provide participants with the skills necessary to pursue higher education, secure stable employment, and achieve greater independence, addressing significant gaps in resources for neurodiverse youth.

12. $1,000 to Huntsville Botanical Garden for their STEM Education Initiatives
The Huntsville Botanical Garden (HBG) seeks funding to support its 2026 STEM education initiatives, which focus on underserved students and Title 1 schools in the Huntsville area. The program includes hands-on STEM workshops, field trips, and outreach events designed to enhance science education for students who may lack access to advanced learning opportunities. Specifically, HBG plans to host STEM workshops These workshops will emphasize environmental science, biodiversity, and sustainable practices, providing students with practical experience and exposure to STEM careers. Additionally, HBG will organize field trips to the Botanical Garden for middle school students from Title 1 schools, offering immersive learning experiences tied to their science curricula. Outreach events, including STEM fairs, will also be conducted at community centers in underserved areas during the summer months. The funding will directly support materials for workshops, transportation for field trips, and staffing for outreach events. By engaging students in interactive STEM activities, the program aims to improve science proficiency and spark interest in STEM fields among participants. The initiative is projected to benefit students from under-resourced schools in 2026.

13. $2,500 to Library Foundation SD for their Spring into STEAM Program
Funding will support the "Spring into STEAM" program at San Diego Public Libraries during the spring of 2026. This program provides hands-on STEM education to elementary and middle school students, with a focus on underserved communities. Currently, budget constraints limit each of the city’s 37 library branches to hosting only one workshop annually, restricting access for students without transportation.
Spring into STEAM workshops are tailored for ages 6-9 and 9-12 and are designed to spark interest in STEM fields through engaging, hands-on activities. Past themes have included geology, oceanography, and forensic science. The library partners with local science experts and organizations to create tailored and meaningful learning opportunities. Past partners include the Fleet Science Center, Mad Science, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and others.  The 2025 program reached 547 participants across four topics. Funds will cover program delivery, supplies, multilingual marketing, and evaluation. By increasing workshop availability in underserved areas, the program will provide equitable access to STEM education, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students most in need of academic support.