UCSD - University of California - San Diego

03/19/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/19/2026 03:36

25 Years of Courage and Curiosity: Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies

Published Date

March 19, 2026

Article Content

When Sally Ride became the first American woman in space, she didn't just break a barrier-she changed what young people could imagine for themselves.

But after leaving NASA and returning to her role as a physics professor, she noticed something troubling: too many students were quietly opting out of science long before their potential was realized. The trend was especially pronounced among girls, who were often discouraged from pursuing science by parents and teachers alike.

"We wanted young people, especially girls, to see themselves in science and understand it as something that was available for them to engage with," said Tam O'Shaughnessy, longtime partner of Sally Ride and co-founder of Sally Ride Science.

That conviction led to the founding of Sally Ride Science in 2001-a national education initiative designed to spark curiosity, build confidence, and help students connect with science. Early programming included hosting science festivals on college campuses, publishing STEM books and training teachers to bring diverse role models into classrooms.

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, changed what young people could imagine for themselves.

Now entering its 25th year and operating as a nonprofit within UC San Diego's Division of Extended Studies, the program continues to expand its reach across San Diego; serving students, educators, and families across the region with hands-on STEAM programs that emphasize both rigor and belonging in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics instruction.

"UC San Diego is proud to be a pillar in Sally Ride's legacy of advancing excellent, equitable education as well as thought leadership related to science instruction," said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "As a trailblazer on so many fronts, Sally inspired our students and the entire nation to reach for the stars. Her message of hope and access lives on at Sally Ride Science Academy, where generations of learners are empowered to pursue their dreams through world-class education."

For families seeking meaningful enrichment through summer academies, after-school programs, or teacher-supported classroom partnerships, Sally Ride Science continues to serve students and families towards creating a more STEAM-literate future generation.

One of Sally Ride's goals in starting Sally Ride Science was to make sure girls and boys of all backgrounds could see role models who looked like them. Here, she engages with young learners conducting a science experiment at a Sally Ride Science Festival.

Finding a home at UC San Diego

Sally Ride devoted nearly 20 years to teaching physics at UC San Diego, forming a deep and lasting bond with the university's mission and spirit. It was only natural, then, that three years after her passing, Sally Ride Science found its new home at UC San Diego, carrying her vision forward.

"I was CEO of Sally Ride Science at the time, instigated by our esteemed Board of Directors, and I called Chancellor Khosla's office to set up a meeting about UC San Diego acquiring Sally Ride Science," said O'Shaughnessy. "This was after waking up in the middle of the night and wondering if UC San Diego might be the perfect home for Sally Ride Science!"

Subsequent meetings with Chancellor Khosla and Becky Petitt, Vice Chancellor for Organizational Transformation at UC San Diego, led to discussions with Ed Abeyta, Dean of Education and Community Outreach at the Division of Extended Studies. O'Shaugnessy noted it "shortly became a match made in heaven."

UC San Diego is proud to be a pillar in Sally Ride's legacy of advancing excellent, equitable education as well as thought leadership related to science instruction. Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla

In 2015, the organization officially relaunched at UC San Diego. The following year, the Sally Ride Science Junior Academy, created and led by UC San Diego Extended Studies, welcomed its first students.

"Sally Ride's legacy is inseparable from UC San Diego," said Petitt, who was instrumental in bringing Sally Ride Science to the campus. "She believed deeply in UC San Diego as a place that develops changemakers and visionaries. Establishing Sally Ride Science here enabled us to advance her mission in a meaningful, sustainable way. It reflects who we are as a university and who we aspire to be for the next generation."

Over the past decade, Sally Ride Science has remained committed to expanding access to high-quality STEAM education by reducing financial barriers and creating meaningful scholarship opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds.

Beyond direct student programming, the initiative is equally focused on equipping educators with the tools and training they need to bring inclusive, research-based science instruction into their classrooms. Through professional learning experiences and ongoing support, teachers are empowered to integrate diverse role models and inspire the next generation of innovators in their own communities.

"Sally Ride Science prepares young learners not just to study science, but to think like problem-solvers in an increasingly complex world," said Abeyta, Extended Studies Associate Dean for Education and Community Outreach. "By engaging students early-and supporting the educators and families around them-we are building the critical thinking, resilience, and creativity that will define tomorrow's workforce."

Expanding and evolving STEM programs

Sally Ride's legacy is inseparable from UC San Diego. She believed deeply in UC San Diego as a place that develops changemakers and visionaries. Establishing Sally Ride Science here enabled us to advance her mission in a meaningful, sustainable way. Becky Petitt, Vice Chancellor for Organizational Transformation

Sally Ride Science has been expanding and evolving in both its audience and scope since its inception, but the last five years have been especially important in this regard.

One of the most recent significant expansions has been the opening of the Sally Ride Science Academy.

"Before the Academy, Sally Ride Science focused only on 4th through 9th grade students," said Megan Lancaster, Assistant Director for Pre-college Programs and Community Outreach for UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies and acting Director of Sally Ride Science. "We really wanted to expand the reach for both older and younger students. We're excited to have made that happen."

Today, the Academy serves students from kindergarten through high school, reaching nearly 800 K-8 students last summer alone. Classes range from marine biology, robotics, pharmaceutical science, filmmaking, sustainable city design, and more.

"We're bringing in instructors who are industry experts themselves," Lancaster added. "If a student takes a marine biology course, they're learning from an actual marine biologist, which is pretty cool."

But growth hasn't just been about numbers. It's also been about meeting students where they are. This means fostering curiosity and confidence for younger program participants, and layering in career exploration and interdisciplinary thinking as they mature.

"Our goal is to make sure our scholars reach just beyond where they are and realize they are capable of more," said Morgan Appel, Assistant Dean for Teacher and Community Education at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. "That little extra reach is where young brains get excited."

From summer camps to year-round science

Related content

25 Things About Sally Ride

Sally Ride is remembered as the first American woman in space and as a champion of diversity and equity in science education. But those were only two aspects of a rich and multifaceted life. To mark the 25th anniversary of the founding of Sally Ride Science, the organization created a list of 25 things you might not know about Sally Ride.

  • She aspired to play shortstop for the Dodgers
  • Her parents didn't understand her interest in science.
  • She was an avid stamp collector.
  • She and her future life partner were girlhood pals.
  • She was a life-long dog lover.
  • She played tennis against Billie Jean King.

Read all 25 things you might not know about Sally Ride.

While summer programming is the cornerstone of Sally Ride Science, under the leadership of UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, the program is also shifting towards more year-round engagement.

Plans include offering after-school and weekend sessions, as well as creating partnerships with local school districts to bring programs into classrooms.

"Summer is great, but it's a shame to limit this program to just a few months," said Lancaster. "We want to make this available for young people all throughout the year."

Another part of the expansion is to offer more teacher training and curriculum development for public school teachers.

"We're working with the San Diego County Office of Education to support educators in designing and refining STEAM curriculum-with students actually providing feedback," shared Appel. "Everybody gets to work on this together."

Our focus was always on young people, but you can't support their learning without also involving their teachers, their parents, and even the government and business world. Tam O'Shaughnessy, longtime partner of Sally Ride and co-founder of Sally Ride Science.

Engaging parents for learning at home and in the classroom

Another recent update to the program has been an emphasis on including the whole family in the learning.

"Parents were dropping their kids off and then just waiting outside the classroom doors," said Lancaster. "We thought, 'Why don't we bring them inside?'"

This led to the emergence of offerings such as parent-child courses, parent-only workshops, and even multilingual offerings, such as science classes in Spanish.

"We're engaging the parents in the process so they can become active participants in the learning ecosystem too," said Appel. "It's not just 'come home, and I'll help you with your homework.' It's 'come home and let me support how you learn.'"

For O'Shaughnessy, this expansion reflects a key design in the original blueprint.

"Our focus was always on young people," she said, "but you can't support their learning without also involving their teachers, their parents, and even the government and business world."

Teaching young people to think like scientists

>At the heart of Sally Ride Science has always been the belief that STEM education isn't just about preparing young people for STEM-based careers, but also about creating a more scientifically literate population for the future.

"Not everybody is going to be a scientist," said O'Shaughnessy. "But it's still important to be literate in science so you can understand and engage with the ideas and see the world from that perspective."

Appel took it a step further to share how the skills students build through engaging in scientific learning, such as critical thinking, curiosity, resilience, and interdisciplinary integration, transfer far beyond labs and equations.

"We're not just preparing young people to work in STEM. We're preparing young people to 'STEM-ify' the world of work," Appel said. "Those liminal spaces where curiosity meets confusion are the foundation of critical thinking skills-and an aspect of learning that Sally Ride Science reinforces remarkably well."

Even with the focus on STEM, Lancaster emphasised that a wide range of important skills is being learned in every Sally Ride Science class.

"They're not just learning about science, math and engineering. They're practicing communication skills, teamwork, problem solving, giving presentations and so many other important soft skills that round out a student's education," said Lancaster.

A legacy still in motion

Twenty-five years after its founding, Sally Ride Science continues to embody the curious and courageous spirit of its namesake, Sally Ride.

"When I think about this 25th anniversary, I think of it as a moment to honor resilience and rigor and courage," said Appel. "Those were all of the qualities that Sally Ride herself had-and, by proxy, they're woven deeply into the DNA of Sally Ride Science."

From summer workshops to school partnerships, teacher trainings to parent engagement, the organization has grown into something both expansive and supportive.

"This all speaks directly to Sally's mission," concluded O'Shaughnessy. "Encourage, inspire, and educate young people so that they're scientifically literate and have the foundation to see a future in STEM fields for themselves."

Visit the Sally Ride Science websiteto learn more about the programming offered, as well as the history and other STEM learning resources.

UCSD - University of California - San Diego published this content on March 19, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 19, 2026 at 09:36 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]