K-12 Outreach

Empowering Future Innovators

The ICS Office of Outreach, Access, and Inclusion (OAI) at UC Irvine is committed to broadening access to computing education within the K-12 ecosystem. We recognize the pivotal role that early exposure to computing plays in shaping future opportunities, and as such, OAI actively engages with local schools, community organizations, and educational partners to offer a diverse range of programs and initiatives.

These initiatives include interactive workshops, hands-on summer camps, and mentorship programs, all designed to foster a passion for information and computer science among students from various backgrounds. Our efforts are particularly focused on reaching underrepresented groups, with the goal of cultivating a diverse and inclusive future in the tech sector.

In collaboration with the National Center for Women in Information Technology (NCWIT), the Aspirations in Computing (AiC) program honors 9th-12th grade students who identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary for their computing or tech related achievements and interests. AiC encourages students to pursue their passions and connects them to resources and a community of like-minded peers. Our AiC recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, and persistence in the face of barriers to access.

Learn More ↗︎

The ICS Summer Academy (ICSSA) provides local high school students with opportunities to explore new cutting edge areas of ICS while immersing themselves in a collegiate environment. Students receive instructions and mentorship from ICS faculty, undergrad and graduate students to tackle real-world issues in the areas of AI/ML, data science, cryptography and software engineering.