Headwaters Science Institute

Fostering curiosity through science

What’s New

Bay Area January Recap

January was a busy month for the Bay Area team! We served over 225 students in Richmond, San Pablo, and El Cerrito. We kicked off 2026 with a field trip to the Marin Headlands with Richmond High School. Throughout the field trip, students asked thoughtful questions...

Get Ready For 2026 Summer Camps

In the midst of these chilly winter days, it’s easy to start daydreaming about warmer and sunnier days ahead. Luckily, that just got a whole lot easier, as we’ve just announced the dates and themes for the 2026 Headwaters Summer Science Camps! This summer, Headwaters...

Headwaters Heads to the Coast

We were incredibly impressed by the passion, dedication, and teamwork displayed by the students from Latitude High School and LPS Richmond during their research trips in Santa Cruz. In the weeks leading up to the trip, students dove into their research projects,...

That’s a Wrap on Spring Semester School Programs!

That's a wrap on the spring semester! As thoughts turn to summer exploration, summer camps, fun events, and vacations, we want to take a moment to recap some of the local Tahoe Truckee school programs we did this school year. With a huge thank you to our local...

Research Field Science Program at McKeesport Area High School

Headwaters completed a very successful Introduction to Research Field Science Program at McKeesport Area High School with 30 10th-12th grade environmental science and biology students! The program aims to foster scientific inquiry and hands-on learning experiences for...

Who We Are

We are educators, scientists, and community members with a mission to foster curiosity through science. We engage students’ natural curiosity, guiding them to design and perform experiments that answer their own questions through the scientific method. We call this process Student Driven Research.

Our Programs

More About Us

What We Do

We aim to create informed citizens who not only pursue science careers, but blossom when faced with opportunities to positively impact society through engagement, curiosity, and applications of the scientific method. To do this, we teach programs for science classes at schools, at field sites throughout California, and online.

For Students & Parents:

About Our Programs

We teach students the scientific method through hands-on learning at schools and at our field site in Northern California.

Program Overview

Our programs teach the scientific method through a hands-on approach that’s based on student inquiry, and designed to meet NGSS standards.

Overnight Programs

An immersive 3-5 day experience on Donner Summit in Northern California. Students learn science by designing their own research projects and collecting data in the field.

At School Programs

Programs at your school or at a nearby field site allow students to experience real-world examples of science concepts, while learning how to design their own research project.

Professional Development

Our commitment to learning extends to teachers. We provide hands-on training on our Student Driven Research methods to educators to allow them to continue teaching these concepts.

“I can’t put it into words how thankful I am for being sponsored to go to the Headwaters Girls Science Camp. At this camp, I learned how science is everywhere, even when you don’t suspect it. I also learned how important it is to increase the number of women in the science fields and the impact that women have in science. This camp has really opened my eyes to the science fields and has helped me realized that science can play a big role in selecting my career.”

Ashley Alarcon, Girls Summer Science Camp Scholarship Recipient 2019