This popular and meaningful summer camp is celebrating its 4th year!

Check out our summer camp program main page for our vision, approach, and past camps.

This year, we are offering five topics!

This is a 2-week environmental science module developed for 6 -12 grade students. The team will meet a minimal of 3 hours each week at a classroom and/or a field site. Students in the camp will learn ecosystem service of coastal wetlands, the coastal sand dunes, marine life and the ecozones of rock shores.

The field sites include University of California Irvine, Back Bay Science Center, Crystal Cove State Park and tidal pools along Pacific shoreline.

This camp topic is scheduled in the week of June 17 and end on June 30, 2024. 

Coach:

Dr. Sunny Jiang , Professor, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine

Dr. Yen-Hsiang Huang, Postdoc Scholara, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, UCI

Schedule & Location

Lecture:

• 6/18 (Tuesday) 9-10am, UCI Engineering Tower
• 6/20 (Thursday) 9-10am, UCI Engineering Tower
• 6/25 (Tuesday) 9-10am, UCI Engineering Tower

Field Trip:

• 6/22 (Saturday) 8:30am – 12pm, Newport Back Bay Science Center
• 6/27 (Thursday) 9am – 11am, Crystal Cove State Park
• 6/30 (Sunday) 10am – 12pm, Newport Back Bay Science Center

Check out the full syllabus and register now!

How critical is clean air to our daily life? Research has shown the link between air pollution with many short and long-term health effects, particularly affecting vulnerable groups such as older adults, children, pregnant women, and individuals with underlying health conditions. Do you know that many underserved communities, especially minority and low-income communities, are disproportionately affected by air pollution? Do you want to learn ways to measure air quality and strategies to mitigate the harms from air pollution?

Come and join us in the Air Quality in Our Community team! We will learn the recent development of low-cost air quality sensors which offer public chances to conduct real-time air pollution measurement in our communities. Based on the measurement data, you will learn how to identify pollution sources, assess air quality trends, and help your neighborhood to implement targeted strategies to mitigate air pollution exposure and reduce harmful emissions.

Coach:
Dr. Xiang Li, Program Supervisor, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Dr. Chen Le, Postdoc Fellow, University of San Diego

Dr. Zihan Zhu, Air Quality Specialist, South Coast Air Quality Management District

Dr. Yucheng He, Air Pollution Specialist, California Air Resource Board

Shedule & Location

Lecture:

• 6/22 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD (21865 Copley Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765)
• 6/29 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD
• no class for July 4th weekend
• 7/12 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD
• 7/20 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD
• 7/27 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD

Field Trip:

• 7/19 (Friday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD Lab

Check out the full syllabus and register now!

Have you ever wondered what happens to your waste after the toilet is flushed? Does it really go to the ocean? Is it safe to go play and swim at the beach? If someone told you that it is ok to swim today, how could you know for sure?

Southern California has wonderful beaches where people gather to play, swim and surf. The health of millions of people, billions of dollars from our coastal economy, and millions of jobs are dependent on water quality supporting water contact activities. An estimated 238 million people use and enjoy California’s coastal beaches each year.

California’s lakes, rivers, and other freshwater bodies also provide free exercise and recreational opportunities. These freshwater bodies are important recreational resources for communities that might otherwise have limited access to the coast, natural environments, or open spaces.

Water quality contamination poses real health risks to recreators and poor water quality postings and beach closures, both coastal and inland, undermines the tourism industry and our own ability to recreate. Water quality monitoring and strong pollution prevention measures are critical for protecting beach goers from waterborne diseases and safeguarding the tourism industry.

The camp is designed to explore the science and engineering of how to keep our waters and their users free from fecal borne diseases and harmful algal blooms.

Coach:

Erick Burres, Senior Environmental Scientist, California Water Resource Control Board

Schedule & Location

Lecture:

• 6/21 (Fridays) 12pm – 2pm, Irvine Quail Hill Community Center
• no class on July 4th week
• 7/12 (Fridays) 12pm – 2pm, Irvine Quail Hill Community Center
• 7/26 (Fridays) 12pm – 2pm, Irvine Quail Hill Community Center
• 7/27 (Saturday) 12pm – 2pm, Irvine Quail Hill Community Center
  • Student will be observing real water quality test results from the Friday before.
• 8/2 (Fridays) 12pm – 2pm, Irvine Quail Hill Community Center

Field Trip

• 6/28 (Fridays) 10am – 12pm, Orange County Sanitation District
• Other field trips will be at nearby waterbodies during lecture time

Check out the full syllabus and register now!

Clean beaches, healthy creeks, rivers, bays, and the ocean are important to the ecosystem as well as everyone living in the watershed. Residents in any watershed need clean and reliable water supply as well. Urbanization and human activities pose significant challenges in both water resources and water quality to maintain a healthy surface water system.

In this summer camp, the project provides an overview of the hydrological cycle and introduces the challenges and toolboxes to restore a healthy surface water system and to ensure safe drinking water supply. The course features four field trips throughout Orange County. Each field trip sheds light on a type of surface water management solution that environmental engineers and scientists are currently implementing in the area. Students will learn about these issues and solutions in the real world as they explore the scenic nature of local waterways.

Shedule & Location (7/8 – 7/21)

Lecture and Field Trips:

• 7/8 (Monday) 4pm – 6pm, Orange County Public Works Gassel Campus
• 7/10 (Wednesday) 4pm – 6pm, Orange County Public Works Gassel Campus
• 7/12 (Friday) 4pm – 6pm, Orange County Public Works Gassel Campus
• 7/15 (Monday) 4pm – 6pm, Orange County Public Works Gassel Campus
• 7/17 (Wednesday) 4pm – 6pm, Orange County Public Works Gassel Campus
• 7/19 (Friday) 4pm – 6pm, Orange County Public Works Gassel Campus

Check out the full syllabus and register now!

Our camp is dedicated to educating and inspiring students to make environmentally conscious choices in their daily lives. Throughout the camp, we will delve into various aspects of sustainable living, including reducing waste and conserving land through landfill visits, learning about energy-saving practices, and discovering the beauty of water conservation by landscaping with water-tolerant native plants. We’ll also explore the benefits of organic composting and recycling.

Join us as we embark on a journey to protect and preserve our planet for future generations.

Coach:

Dr. Kun Liu, Business Owner, Formal Restoration Ecologist

Dr. Kenny Wang, Water Resource Control Engineer, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board

Schedule & Location

Lecture:

• week of July 4th (date TBD) 10-12pm, online
• 7/13 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, Tzu Chi Elementary School, Walnut, CA
• 7/27 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, Tzu Chi Elementary School, Walnut, CA

Field Trip:

• 6/20 (Thursday) 10am – 12pm, Prima Deshecha Landfill in Orange County
• 6/28 (Friday) 10am – 12pm, Recycling Facility Center, Irvine
• 7/20 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, Crystal Cove, Newport Beach

Check out the full syllabus and register now! 

This year, for the camp opening ceremony, we are teaming up with Cool Irvine!

The Cool Irvine Program is on a mission to educate Irvine communities about the pressing challenges of climate change and empower individuals to make planet-friendly choices.

Environmental Summer Camp opening ceremony will be co-hosted at the Cool Irvine Eco Fair! Join your fellow campers, the larger community for fun, education, and get inspired!