History
Like many start-ups in Silicon Valley, Schmahl Science Workshops (SSW) began in a garage in 1996. Today, SSW provides fun and engaging science workshops to 150 schools serving 32,000 Bay Area students each year that do not have the resources to include science as a regular part of their instructional program.
SSW has created & thoroughly documented over 700 original science lesson plans that meet Common Core/Next Generation Science Standards. The lesson plans are supported by contextual & inspirational essays that help SSW instructors weave in exciting background perspective with the fun of learning. The classroom program has an average of 30 hands-on workshops for each grade level. In preschool, 32 workshops are linked with 96 pieces of children’s literature. The literature provides background knowledge, vocabulary, & excitement for students as they learn foundational scientific concepts. The elementary program not only links science concepts to grade level standards, but also links workshops to language arts. Middle & high school workshops support science teachers by bringing in workshops at key times during each unit of science instruction & providing students with hands-on activities & experiments that are not otherwise readily available.
SSW currently has three key components, all related to developing a love of science in youngsters of all ages –pre-k through grade 12:
- Classroom (Public and Private schools) & After School
- Homeschool & Camps
- Student Research Program (Seminars and Individualized Research)
SSW has been locally & nationally recognized as a leader in science education. Our programs inspire & empower youth to become young scientists, pursuing & developing their interest in STEM fields through hands-on experiences that become opportunities for career advancement. In eighteen years, hundreds of young scientists working with SSW have received awards. Many have gone on to pursue college majors in STEM fields. Even if students do not pursue science as a career, their SSW experience helps to develop valuable skills in critical thinking, collaboration & problem solving as well as a lifelong appreciation for science.
