Empowering the Next Generation of Scientific Thinkers
Expanding Access. Igniting Curiosity. Building the Future of STEM.
The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) Nanoscience Outreach Program at UCLA expands access to high-quality STEM education for students and teachers across California and beyond. Through hands-on learning, teacher professional development, public outreach, and workforce training, CNSI Education brings cutting-edge science directly into classrooms and communities—especially those historically underrepresented in STEM.
Your support ensures that every student, regardless of background, can engage with modern science, see its relevance, and envision themselves shaping the future of innovation.
Our Mission and Impact
CNSI Education connects K–12 and undergraduate communities with groundbreaking research at UCLA through experiential learning opportunities that spark curiosity and build confidence. Our programs:
- Provide free, NGSS-aligned professional development for teachers
- Deliver hands-on nanoscience experiments to Title I schools
- Foster creativity and entrepreneurship through competitions and summer programs
- Expand college access and belonging for students underrepresented in STEM
- Prepare the future workforce with industry-aligned research, mentorship, and training
- Engage the public through community events, festivals, and digital outreach
Together, these efforts form a robust and inclusive STEM pipeline that has already reached hundreds of thousands of learners—and continues to grow each year.
Signature Programs
Nanoscience Institute for Teachers
For nearly two decades, this free monthly workshop series has trained elementary, middle, and high school teachers to bring nanoscience into their classrooms. Designed and led by UCLA graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, these workshops reach over 11,000 students annually—80% of whom attend Title I schools.
Nanovation Competition
Nanovation blends nanotechnology, entrepreneurship, and design thinking for middle and high school students. Teams develop innovative product ideas with UCLA mentors and pitch to faculty and industry judges, often citing the experience as transformative in their academic journeys.
PATHS (Pursuing Access Through Hands-on STEM)
Launched in 2023, PATHS brings students from Title I high schools to UCLA for immersive lab tours, hands-on experiments, and mentorship with undergraduate and graduate students who share their lived experiences—significantly increasing interest in STEM pathways.
Summer and Workforce Development Programs
From immersive high school summer labs to paid undergraduate internships and advanced technical training, CNSI prepares students for careers in high-tech fields. Programs like the Magnify Internship, Summer Capstone, and Tech Center Training provide rare, hands-on experience with real-world research, startups, and industry-grade tools.
Why Your Gift Matters
Your investment directly advances:
- Access to free, high-quality STEM education
- Empowerment of teachers and students through hands-on learning
- Innovation through new experiments, outreach, and program expansion
- Pathways to college, careers, and California’s high-tech workforce
Join Us
When you give to CNSI Nanoscience Outreach, you help create opportunity. Your support inspires curiosity, strengthens scientific literacy, and builds a more inclusive future for STEM—one student at a time.
Students gain valuable hands-on cleanroom and lab experience.
Over 11,000 student experiments are performed annually.
CNSI Education volunteers have designed 20 unique workshops and counting.
CNSI brings science to the broader community through monthly public events and interactive demos.