Lawrence Hall of Science: Environmental Science & Public Health Summer Programs

Unlock your potential as an environmental research scientist at The Lawrence Hall of Science this summer! Step into the shoes of a scientist as you develop and conduct a research study into pollution and environmental impacts in our communities. In these two-week summer programs, you'll gain new skills data analysis, laboratory techniques, and scientific writing. Learn to design experiments, interpret results, and present your findings confidently. Get ready to use science to make a meaningful impact on science, the environment, and our community!

Studying Potential Lead Ingestion in Children During Outdoor Play
June 9–13 and 16–17
June 23–27, June 30 and July 1
Most urban environments contain lead concentration levels that exceed healthy limits set by state and federal agencies.  This is largely the result of the addition of lead in consumer products including gasoline and paint prior to the 1980s.  In this program you will design and organize a research study, use state of the art equipment to measure lead concentrations in collected soils, analyze data, calculate lead ingestion concentrations among young children exposed to contaminated soils, and write a mini manuscript. 

Assessing the Origins of Arsenic in Residential Soil
July 21–25 & 28–29
Are young children at risk of ingesting not only lead but also arsenic while playing outside? Join us in our original research project to explore this important question. In our Studying Potential Lead Ingestion in Children During Outdoor Play program, we uncovered alarmingly high arsenic levels in residential soils. Now, we’re investigating the source: is the arsenic naturally occurring and derived from regional bedrock, or has it been introduced by human activities?