This popular and meaningful summer camp is celebrating its 5th year!

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

This year, we are offering six tracks (including four new topics)!

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

Schedule & Location

Lecture:

• 6/21 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD (21865 Copley Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765)
• 6/28 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD
• no class for July 4th weekend
• 7/11 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD
• 7/19 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD
• 7/26 (Saturday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD

Field Trip:

• 7/18 (Friday) 10am – 12pm, South Coast AQMD Lab

Join us for an exciting Nature Exploration Summer Camp! Every Saturday from 9:30 AM to 12 PM, students will embark on guided hikes led by wildlife biologists and botanists to explore California’s native plants, birds, mammals, and insects.

This immersive outdoor experience will help students develop a deeper understanding of local ecosystems, fostering curiosity and environmental stewardship. Hikes will take place in diverse natural habitats, offering hands-on learning opportunities to identify species, observe wildlife behavior, and discuss conservation efforts.

Carpooling parents are encouraged to join, making this a fun and educational experience for families! Whether you’re a budding scientist or simply a nature lover, this summer camp is the perfect way to connect with the outdoors and gain valuable ecological knowledge.

Come explore with us and become a steward of California’s biodiversity!

Coach:

Dr. Kun Liu, Restoration Ecologist, Business Owner

Daniel Miao, Science Teacher, IUSD Teacher

Julia Ye, Scientist/Geologist, DTSC

Schedule & Location

Lecture:

• ZOOM: 7-8pm, Thursdays (4 times total).

Field Trip: Various Nature Trails, Orange County

• 6/21 (Saturday) 9:30am – 12pm
• 6/28 (Saturday) 9:30am – 12pm
• 7/05 (Saturday) JULY 4 Weekend ( No Class)
• 7/12 (Saturday) 9:30am – 12pm
• 7/19 (Saturday) 9:30am – 12pm
• 7.26 (Saturday) 9:30am – 12pm

Ever wonder what happens to the wastewater we produce every day? In this short course we will dive into the fascinating world of resource recovery from wastewater, which will help create a more sustainable future for our communities and society.

What you will learn:

Wastewater to Recycled Water: Discover the technologies that purify wastewater to reclaimed water which can be used to supplement water supply in Southern California.

Turning Sludge into Energy: Learn the concept of anaerobic digestion which is used in wastewater treatment plants to treat sludge produced from wastewater treatment, producing methane gas that can be utilized to generate energy.

Composting: Nature’s Recycling Machine: Explore the process of composting, transforming anaerobically digested sludge into nutrient-rich compost for healthy gardens and farms. The same process can be used to treat food scraps, organic waste, and yard waste.

Get Ready for Hands-on Learning!

This course is not just about classroom lectures. We will be taking several field trips to see resource recovery in action!

Wastewater Treatment Plant and Advanced Waste Treatment Plant: Witness firsthand how state-of-the-art technologies clean and purify wastewater for reuse.

Regional Composting Facility: Explore a large-scale composting facility and see how sludge from wastewater treatment is transformed into valuable soil amendments.

Schedule & Location

Schedule:

• 6/17 (Thursday) 10am – 11am, lecture
• 7/01 (Tuesday) 10am – 11am, lecture
• 7/08 (Tuesday) 10am – 11am, lecture
• 7/15 (Tuesday) 9am – 12pm, field trip to OC San & GWRS
• 7/22 (Tuesday) 10am – 11am, lecture
• 7/29 (Tuesday) 10am – 11am, final presentation dry run

Locations:

• Lecture: UCI-Irvine
• Field trip: OC San & GWRS, Fountain Valley

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.

Coach:

Stella Shao, PE, Environmental Engineer
Nan Jia, PE, CWE

Schedule & Location

Lecture:

Location: University of California-Irvine

• 6/21 (Saturday) 10 am – 12 pm,  
• 7/12 (Saturday) 10 am – 12 pm 
• 7/21 (Saturday) 10 am – 12 pm

Field Trips

• 6/26 (Thursday) 9 am – 11 am, Laguna Niguel Regional Park
• 7/26 (Saturday) 10 am – 12 pm, San Joaquin March (Irvine)

Toxic Crusaders is a hands-on outreach program developed and delivered by the Department of Toxic Substances Control Environmental Chemistry Laboratories (DTSC) to prepare high school students for careers in STEM. The program seeks to expose students to a work-simulated experience, to help develop critical thinking skills with respect to environmental hazards, and to introduce students to meaningful careers within DTSC and the government that are not widely publicized. Students will have the opportunity to tour and learn in DTSC’s Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (ECL) in Pasadena, CA. 

The 2024-25 curriculum centers on the subject of Hazardous Waste. Students will have the opportunity to conduct three hands-on experiments to evaluate environmental samples and determine whether they meet hazardous waste criteria or not. Each week consists of a workshop and an interactive activity to build a context of knowledge that will prepare students for the experiments. The activities will be occurring alongside the daily work of the ECL, allowing students to speak with different DTSC professionals about their careers and ask questions about their own trajectories. Students will be provided with all the necessary materials including a workbook and personal protective equipment. The only requirements are a commitment to attend each week in appropriate laboratory apparel. 

Coach:

Ori Roe, Research Scientist at DTSC

Schedule & Location

Lecture: 

• 6/20 (Friday) 1:30 – 3:30pm,
• 6/27 (Friday) 1:30 – 3:30pm
• 7/11 (Friday) 1:30 – 3:30pm
• 7/18 (Friday) 1:30 – 3:30pm
• 7/25 (Friday) 1:30 – 3:30pm

Location: DTSC Pasadena Laboratory (757 South Raymond Avenue, Suite 105, Pasadena, CA 91105)

Dive into the fascinating world of watersheds, hydrology, water quality, and recycled water systems in this dynamic summer course! Through hands-on activities, interactive GIS mapping, and exciting field trips—including exploring Aliso Creek—you’ll uncover the secrets of how water moves, how it’s managed, and how innovative technologies can sustainably protect our most vital resource.

Coach:

Dr. Jeff Cheng, Senior Water Resources Engineer at AECOM

Dr. Jialin Dong

Dr. Chujing Zheng

Schedule & Location

Schedule:

• 6/14 (Saturday) 9:30am – 12pm, lecture
• 6/20 (Friday) 9:30am – 12pm, lecture
• 6/21 (Saturday) 9:30am – 12pm, lecture
• 7/11 (Friday) 9:30am – 2pm, field trip
• July Online Workshop 1, 2 hrs, TBD based on schedule of registered students
• July Online Workshop 2, 2 hrs, TBD based on schedule of registered students
• July Online Workshop 3, 2 hrs, TBD based on schedule of registered students

Location:

• Lecture: UC-Irvine, or 3100 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa
• Field trip: Jeronimo Rd., Lake Forest, CA 92630