"I really enjoyed this experience and everything added to my knowledge and learning that I know I wouldn't have been able to figure out on my own. It connected me to different communities and overall was a great experience."

2023 Participant

"The microplastic project helped me realize that I can do science that benefits people right now and I can find things that have not been found before. And Seward Park helped me learn new skills that really drew me in and also helped me feel helpful and needed in the fight for environmental justice and stewardship."

2023 Participant

"During my time with ISB, I got to work a lot with systems. Besides my project, we identified and created our own systems which really helped me become confident that I could excel in STEM work. By being able to look into my own backyard and point out an actual system made me feel like a real scientist."

2022 Participant

In-Person Experience - Summer 2023

In summer 2023, 12 high school students from across Western Washington participated in the Environmental Systems in the Outdoors Research Experience. Over the 6-week program, students had the opportunity to visit 7 different field sites in Seattle and work with numerous environmental scientists, researchers, educators, community organizers, and more! Students worked on a variety of environmental science-based activities that brought them outdoors and engaged with local environments.

The program culminated in a final project related to environmental research, science, and/or stewardship. These projects were largely student-driven, and engaged everything they had learned throughout the program into a project that interested them. The final projects will be showcased on our website as they are completed. Use the button below to explore the students' great work:

Virtual Experience - Summer 2022

In summer 2022, 50 high school students from across the country participated in the Environmental Systems in the Outdoors Research Experience. This was a new program created by Systems Education Experiences to engage student participants in environmental research. Over the 6-week program, students had the opportunity to meet and learn from 10 different environmental STEM professionals, from the Institute for Systems Biology and its collaborators. Students also worked on environmental science-based activities that brought them outdoors and into their local communities and environments in order to engage with nearby ecosystems and identify environmental systems.

The program culminated in a final project related to environmental research, science, and/or stewardship. These projects were largely student-driven, and engaged everything they had learned throughout the program into a project that interested them. The final projects will be showcased on our website and social media accounts throughout the next few months. Use the links below to explore the students' great work:

Despite a virtual format, students had the opportunity to explore - in-person and over Zoom - different locations all over the world! Check out the interactive map below to see all of the places on Earth that student participants engaged with during the program's run. The categories are as follows:

Student Participants: With the virtual format, students were able to join from all across the country. Many students also traveled abroad to visit family or take a summer vacation. The blue points on the map represent everywhere students joined throughout the experience!
Environmental Research: Many environmental researchers joined the program to speak about their work and career trajectory in environmental STEM. The purple points on the map represent where each of the scientists focus their research.
National Parks: At the beginning of each session, students were presented with an image so they could get "guess the national park!" This was followed with some fun facts about the park, to help students learn more about the environments near them. The parks that were featured are represented by green points on the map.