Join us for the 9th annual conference celebrating the richness within our communities. Attendance is FREE and open to all members of the community.
This year's theme is "Awe and Wonder," so come curious and ready to be creative!
Les invitamos a asistir a nuestra novena conferencia anual celebrando la riqueza de nuestras comunidades. La asistencia es GRATUITA y abierta a tod@s l@s miembr@s de la comunidad.
¡El tema este año es el asombro y la curiosidad- vengan listos para ser creativos!
Conference Schedule
9:00AM - 3:00PM
10:00AM - 11:00AM
11:15AM - 12:15PM
12:15PM - 1PM
1PM - 2PM
2:15PM - 3:15PM
Kick Off &
Student Showcase!
Workshop Session 1
Registration
Lunch
*Available 11:30AM-1:30PM
Workshop Session 2
Workshop Session 3
3:30PM - 4:30PM
Keynote, Opportunity Drawing & Closing
4:30PM - 5PM
University Tours
Conference Highlights
Hands-on STEAM Workshops
Speakers from STEAM Field
College and community resources
STEAM Prizes
Delicious Lunch
Curated workshops for K-12 Educators
Join us for an exciting opportunity for students to present their STEAM projects to the community!
Students will be coming from all over San Diego County. We will also have students presenting from BiGI, Impactful Sanbox, and VisMO Summer Adventure Camp summer camps 2025!
Summer camps sponsored by the San Diego Foundation and San Diego Unified School District.
Are you a student in 4th-12th grade? Have a STEAM project you want to present! Sign up below!
We will give an "Audience Choice Award" at the end of the day!
STUDENT SHOWCASE
10-11am
Audience: Everyone!
Workshop 1
11:15AM-12:15pm
STEam highlight
Joshua Williams
CEO and Founder of Young Echelon
Workshop 2
1PM-2pm
_(1)_1.jpg)
Workshop 3
2:15pm-3:15pm
interactive stations
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Come visit these featured STEAM Activities!
wabi sabi weaving
_JPG.jpg)
WabiSabiWeaving invites you to stop by and learn to weave! We will have several small looms available for all to try.
Stop by, and we'll show you how to use your inner creative power to create beautiful fiber art with yarn, on a loom!
No experience necessary.
sound museum
Origami table
Enjoy the incredible sound experiences created by Vincent Minces, blending together physics, art and Computational Neurobiology. The Sound Museum includes musical fountains and sound forests.
Join us in some fun paper folding for the whole family! Explore math concepts in every fold!
Slinky exploration
Imagine light and sound waves through a game of slinky!
The Clueless FTC
The Clueless. FTC is a part of FIRST, a global non-profit organization engaging students by building and competing with robots. Come check out their FIRST Tech Challenge robot and test it out for yourself!
Forensic Science
Calling all forensic scientists! Explore two important techniques used in solving crimes: fingerprint and hair analysis. See if you can identify common patterns in your fingerprints and use a microscope to match a hair sample taken from a crime scene to a suspect.
Craft it with clay
Jennifer Finlan from Gifted Back will lead you in this hands-on activity, make, share and create your own masterpiece with polymer clay.
Meet Chanté Summers
Ever seen a life size 3D printed statue?? Come check out the If/Then Women in STEM statue of Chanté Summers, a research scientist at Pfizer Inc where she supports the development of bio-molecules. She will be around in person from 1:30-3pm to show you some of her real life work!
hands-on technology education
LKW STEM Foundation
Meet our STEAM-X speakers
Joshua Williams
Paine Harris
Danielle-Elizabeth Margo Mensah-Baah
Joshua Williams is a visionary engineer, changemaker, and community-builder whose life’s work sits at the intersection of innovation, service, and social impact. As the Founder and CEO of Young Echelon (YE), he is dedicated to equipping young Black leaders with the tools, exposure, and confidence to thrive in STEAM fields and beyond. YE’s four-year leadership program and forthcoming Global Immersion initiative reflect Joshua’s belief in the power of identity, cultural connection, and community empowerment as pathways to equity. In his day role, Joshua serves as a District Engineer of Electric Region Operations at San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), where he leads with both technical excellence and a deep commitment to equitable infrastructure and leadership development. A proud graduate of the University of San Diego, he holds dual degrees in Mechanical Engineering and was a four-time Pioneer Football League champion as captain of the Division I football team. His alma mater named him a Torero Changemaker in recognition of his outstanding contributions to campus leadership and service. In 2020, during a time of national reckoning, Joshua stepped boldly into leadership—organizing citywide protests, launching his nonprofit, and using his voice to advocate for equity and justice. These defining moments further rooted his mission to bridge communities and create spaces for Black excellence to flourish. Today, Joshua continues to lead with clarity, purpose, and passion. Whether through mentorship, engineering, or cultural exchange, he is building global bridges for the next generation of changemakers. Grounded in empowerment and fueled by service, his vision is simple yet powerful: a world where Black brilliance is nurtured, seen, and unstoppable.
Paine Harris graduated last year from the University of San Diego with a degree in Integrated Engineering. He currently is an electrical engineer for Clarity Design here in San Diego, and focuses on writing firmware and design for manufacturing. He previously worked at the Jacobs Institute as the Learning Experiences and Technology Coordinator. He loves finding the intersection between his interests: engineering, teaching, computer science, and video games.
Danielle-Elizabeth Margo Mensah-Baah An inspiring 8th grader from San Diego, Danielle-Elizabeth leads with curiosity, creativity, and a deep passion for STEAM. She maintains a 4.0 GPA and has earned two Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Awards through over 400 hours of service, supported by the Elementary Institute of Science (EIS) and Girl Scouts San Diego. At school, she served as Vice President of Student Council, started three schoolwide traditions, and was a Spelling Bee Champion. Danielle-Elizabeth’s 3D-printed shoe project won First Place in Engineering at the Greater San Diego Science & Engineering Fair, with awards from General Atomics, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Society of American Military Engineers. She held leadership roles on the EIS Botball Team and her FIRST LEGO League team, both of which earned regional honors. Through Greater Than Tech, she won First Place in the Capstone for a wildfire detection system and joined the youngest team in the 2025 MIT Zero Gravity Space Challenge. This past summer, Danielle-Elizabeth led a STEM workshop for over 100 students in Accra, Ghana, using EIS-donated kits. She co-hosts The Science Of, a Cloudcast Media podcast, and led a team whose cerebral palsy exoskeleton earned a Global Impact Nomination in the Jacobs Teen Innovation Challenge. With the support of her community, Danielle-Elizabeth continues to lead with purpose—proving that young people can spark real change.
Opportunity drawing prizes
Amazon Fire tablet
Family pack of 4 to Air & Space Museum
Family pack of 4 for San Diego Children Museum
2 memberships for San Diego Natural History Museum
Family of 4 tickets to San Diego Whale Watch
Family pack of 4 for Living Coast Discovery Center
Household Plus Membership - 4 packs for 2 families
T-shirt/hat
2 Family packs to visit Children's Discovery Museum
T-shirt/hat
.png)
2 hours Eco pedal boat ride gift certificate
2 hour pedal boat ride with gift certificate
.png)
A basket from Gifted Back
Family pack of 4 to Birch Museum
Gift Bags from EXSJ
Four free rounds of mini golf
.png)
Sawg Bags and Free tickets to games from the Athletic Department
Small Hand Loom and Yarn
donated by Suzanne Person
Drawing set:
pencils, color pencils, and paper
donated by Biology Through Art
Family pack of 4 to Midway Museum
Donated by California Global Education Project
Infinity and Me
We Are Water Protecters
Math comics from Art of Problem Solving
Pure acoustics portable bluetooth speaker Donated by Greater Than Tech
30 Bicycles Donated by San Diego Bicycle Collective
STEAM Kits donated by Clarity Design
5 sets of Science Kit
5 sets of Science Magic Kit
5 sets of Amazing Interactions Chemistry Kit
5 sets of Snap Circuits
5 sets of Earth Science Kit
5 sets of Digital Toy Microscopes
2 scholarships for STEM program with Hands On Technology Education
Conference facilitators
Dr. Lavar and kristina watkins
Dr. Lavar and Kristina Watkins are the CEO & President’s of Learning Knowledge Worldwide STEM Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which exists to provide opportunities through “STEM Education” that will inspire “Future STEMologists” at a critical juncture along their K-16 STEM educational and career pathway development to “sySTEMicly” impact our world as the next generation of innovative thinkers, creators and developers! TEAM WATKINS travels the city, state, and nation inspiring students, staff, businesses and various community stakeholders of the importance of learning and applying STEM concepts and content to everyday life.
.png)
Paul phillips
Paul Gary Phillips is a retired Support Engineer from Qualcomm with a degree in Physical Science: Mathematics from Colorado State University. His career has spanned a variety of roles, including Photo Specialist at Northrop, Computer Animator at Digital Arts, and Test Engineer at Qualcomm. Paul is also the creator of two published coloring books, produced through his MathArt.us graphic design website. As a Toastmasters Gold-level speaker, he brings both expertise and enthusiasm to every presentation—you can expect an engaging and inspiring workshop.
Mike Maxwell,PhD
Mike Maxwell is a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at National University, where he teaches ecology, invertebrate zoology, and general biology. He is the founder and lead organizer of the NSF-funded project "Biology through Art", which brings artistic expression into biology courses. His art approach emphasizes drawings and acrylic painting. Biology through Art includes biologists and artists from over 40 universities and museums in the US and Canada. As a biologist, his research examines the mating behavior, genetics, and ecology of praying mantises in California, in which the "art of love" may be fatal for the male.
.png)
Lucinda anderson
Lucinda Anderson is a rising senior and intern at the Ecologik Institute. Since she was a young age, she has advocated for getting more voices into STEM programs, a mission that aligns directly with the Ecologik Institute's goals. She has interned with the program for over a year and, before that, volunteered with them for over 5 years. Currently, she leads workshops in the San Diego area and hosts youth events to make STEM more accessible.
Isaac Muñoz,PhD
Isaac Muñoz is a first generation Mexican-American who has lived in Southern California for the majority of his life. He currently teaches recording and sound reinforcement at San Diego State University. His fascination with music technology began as a kid when he heard laser sounds shooting out of electric guitars and made it his goal to understand audio effects. Isaac’s path to combining music and engineering was kickstarted when he received the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship which enabled him to travel throughout Latin America building musical instruments. As a staff engineer at Qualcomm, Isaac is developing the next generation of audio technologies on the Multimedia R&D team. He has traveled internationally to showcase live immersive audio streaming experiences and work on prototype microphones. In his spare time, Isaac participates in STEM outreach programs such as the Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab.
Arietta Fleming-Davie, PhD
Dr. Fleming-Davies is an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of San Diego.
victor minces,PhD
Victor Hugo Minces studied fine arts and physics at the University of Buenos Aires, and obtained his Ph.D. in Computational Neurobiology at the University of California, San Diego, where he is now a research scientist. He is the founder and director of Listening to Waves, a project seeking to engage adolescents in the science of music that has reached tens of thousands of people through workshops and digital technology. Dr. Minces’ work has been featured in the BBC, and he has collaborated with the San Diego Symphony in a series of concert-lectures about the science of music. The development of Listening to Waves allowed Dr. Minces to combine his passion for art, science, and public service, and gave him the opportunity to develop as a creator of awe-inspiring sound experiences. Dr. Minces’ art aims to bring those experiences to the general public.
Victor Chang, PhD
Victor Chang has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a BA in English from Cornell University, as well as an MSE in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He has previously worked in the automotive and aerospace industries, but has focused on biotechnology, life sciences and medical devices for the last 15 years. He has worked both as a consultant and as a direct employee in various capacities from automation engineer to director of engineering developing core technologies and/or manufacturing equipment and processes. When not at work, he can be found tandem bicycling or playing/coaching sand volleyball at the beach.
Beto Vasquez,PhD
Alberto “Beto” Vasquez, Ed.D., is the Director of STEM and Community Engagement at UC San Diego CREATE. He has a Master’s Degree in biology and currently leads K-20 programs to expand opportunities for students in STEM fields. He is the youngest of 4 children born to Mexican parents and grew up in Logan Heights. Beto also serves on several non profit boards and has served on the City of San Diego’s Commission on Gang Prevention.
Emma chan
My name is Emma Chan and this is my 3rd year on Team Inspiration. I have been doing FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) for the past 2 years and this is my 1st year participating in RoboSub. I am passionate about teaching and mentoring others. I have worked globally with mentoring teams from Benin, Paraguay, Eswatini, and Togo. I’m excited and looking forward to working with students in the San Diego area.
Marisela
Marisela Chevez is a STEAM & Research Program Coordinator at UC San Diego CREATE. She was born in Los Angeles, California and has a degree in History from the University of California at Berkeley. Marisela is currently pursuing a Master’s of Library & Information Science through San Jose State University’s School of Information. She is also a Girl Scout troop leader.
Coach keli
At a foundational level Keli Ross-Ma’u believes in the power of community, and in the principle that people achieve more when they feel a sense of belonging. Keli is the founder and executive director of Kainga Music, a non-profit music school primarily focused on the steel pan. He chose the word “Kainga” from his Tongan heritage, which means “extended family.” Born in Oceanside, California, Keli has been a professional musician since he was 11 years old, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and received his BA in Music at Trinity College, CT. While studying abroad in Trinidad, the birthplace of the steel pan, he was struck with the concept of “Panyards”, community centers in Trinidadian neighborhoods where people from all walks of life come together after work and school to learn and play music. Participating with the Pamberi Panyard, Keli saw the unique value in the steel pan as a communal instrument and he took it on as a personal mission to develop programs in the US, inspired by the model of The Panyard. Keli has also lectured and taught in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Germany and brings an international awareness and outlook to his teaching approach. Keli is also able to connect the students to a larger community of professional musicians in Southern California at Kainga Music’s seasonal concerts, oftentimes leading students from no musical experience to performing on stage after a handful of lessons. He is known for his energetic and encouraging teaching style along with his song arrangements that are both accessible and challenging for students’ varied skill levels, and creates a positive environment for both group and individual development. While continuing work with Kainga Music, Keli earned his MA in Education: Counseling from San Diego State University and is currently the Mana counselor/co-coordinator at MiraCosta College. Mana is a student equity program that builds a community among Pacific Islander students and offers support services toward their academic goals. Keli is also known by many in the community as “Coach”. He has founded several youth to college rugby programs and currently is the head coach of both the Men’s and Women’s Rugby program at MiraCosta. He has led numerous teams to Southern California championships and a National Championship in 2018 for MiraCosta. Keli’s work with youth rugby was recognized nationally by being awarded the USA Rugby Participation Coach of The Year Award in 2016. Keli believes that community and a sense of belonging is essential, and he is committed to creating, uniting, and building communities wherever he is.
Paine Harris
Paine Harris graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in Integrated Engineering. He currently is an electrical engineer for Clarity Design here in San Diego, and previously worked at the Jacobs Institute as the Learning Experiences and Technology Coordinator. He loves finding the intersection between his interests: engineering, teaching, computer science, and video games.
Suzanne person
Suzanne is a creative maker who currently identifies as a fiber artist. She is guided by the concept of wabisabi - translated from the Japanese aesthetic of embracing and finding beauty in imperfection. She follows a “no rules, no mistakes” philosophy and is passionate about encouraging others to do the same. Suzanne believes strongly that all humans have an innate ability to create and will benefit immensely from the opportunity and willingness to do so. She guides others to let go of pre-conceived ideas and “shoulds” in their own art, and instead to simply let their inner creativity shine through. While Suzanne loves to spend time in quiet mindfulness creating her own works, she actually spends more time encouraging and enabling others to put their own hands and inner creative voice to use in their own artistic endeavors. Creating anything, especially art, is for everyone, with no boundaries.
-2.png)
Anchor stem scholars
AnchorSTEM Scholars are part of a program at the University of San Diego dedicated to sustaining and strengthening partnerships with pre-college serving community organizations. AnchorSTEM supports the retention, graduation, and success of local "Rising Stars" in STEM fields by recognizing the importance of students' backgrounds and the assets they bring. The program emphasizes the collective effort of the community to advance each member and underscores the value of retaining and strengthening students' ties with their community and family to help them succeed in college. Entering first-year scholars receive up to four years of scholarship support and individualized mentoring from carefully selected STEM faculty who participate in a community of practice.
Odesma dalrymple, phd
Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Odesma Dalrymple, PhD, is a proponent of education equity as a key mechanism for ensuring just social growth and development. As a trained engineering education scholar, Dr. Dalrymple’s professional and service work is focused on transforming engineering education and its public image; making it more inclusive, and socially connected. This mission is partially actualized through her research that seeks to identify, develop and evaluate tools, techniques and pathways that can facilitate deep learning and sustained interest in engineering and other STEAM fields, particularly for populations that have been historically under-represented in the STEM workforce in the United States.
Nana Yaw Asiedu
Nana Obrafo Yaw Asiedu is the Founder and Director of the Ile Ayan Cultural Institution of Higher Learning, which uses drumming as the vehicle for the uplift of the human spirit. Nana believes it is important to bring the value of “Culture” back into our society as a means to heal or prevent dysfunctionality. His work with children has proven to help them become more self-disciplined and able to focus. It balances out the right and left brain, while stimulating endorphins. Drumming breeds integrity. Many children Nana has taught have gone on to become professional musicians.
Aliyah Jones
Aliyah Jones is a Industrial and Systems Engineering student at the University of San Diego, and a Professional Dancer with 18 years of training in styles ranging from hip hop and jazz to ballet, contemporary, tap, and many more. Beyond the classroom and stage, Aliyah serves as a student teacher at the Manchester Family Child Development Center and teaches dance at Hilary Charlene's Dance Company, sharing her creativity and mentorship with the next generation. She also holds leadership roles as Co-President of the National Society of Black Engineers and Internal Linda Vista Engagement Chair for the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society. Driven by a deep passion for uplifting youth, Aliyah combines her love for dance and STEM to inspire and empower others through education, movement, and meaningful community engagement.
Mitchell zhao, MD
Mitchell Zhao is an assistant clinical professor at the UC San Diego Medical Center Department of Pathology. He received his BS from UC San Diego and his MD from California Northstate University. Afterwards, he returned to UC San Diego for residency in pathology and fellowship in gastrointestinal pathology. His academic interests include non-neoplastic medical disease and medical education, which includes improving accessibility to medical knowledge important for everyday life.
Medha Aravind
Medha Aravind if the co-founder of STEMEnablers. STEM Enablers is a non profit organization which was founded in 2021. Their mission is to empower students with the knowledge of STEM associated subjects, providing them with the necessary critical thinking skills and work ethic to propel them to succeed in the real world. They envision a world in which we can provide all students with the resources and values required to achieve their full potential. STEM Enablers hosts free, online summer camps which teach middle school students the fundamentals of various STEM subjects. Their community is full of high school students who want to help middle schoolers throughout their learning journey.
Arnold Tubis,PhD
Arnold Tubis is a retired physics professor who was a faculty member at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana from 1960 to 2000 (nine years as department head). He now resides in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Origami has been an avocation of his since the early 1960s, and his models have been exhibited in the USA, Japan, Europe, and Israel. He is the author or co-author of nine books on origami, and over 50 articles and papers in origami print and online media. He is currently focused on designing models that require, at most, an intermediate folding level, and can be used to enrich the teaching and learning of geometry in middle school and high school. He is the co-coordinator of the Greater San Diego Origami Group in California, and a member of CFC. His origami website is tubisorigami.com.
.png)
Tung Ken lam
Tung Ken Lam is a renowned origami artist and author who has been folding paper since childhood. A former editor of British Origami magazine, he has created hundreds of original designs and regularly teaches origami in schools, museums, and community venues. He is the author of several origami books and has shared his work through workshops and presentations in France, Italy, Sweden, Japan, and the United States. Tung Ken has organized numerous events for educators, students, and the public, and his expertise has been sought by organizations such as Honda, The Japan Society, EuroStemCell, the Bodleian Library, the Royal Institution, and Bletchley Park. He lives in Lancaster, UK, and his website is www.foldworks.net.
.png)
annick o'shaughnessy
My name is Annick O’Shaughnessy from Montreal Canada.I taught French immersion Kdg, first and second grade for 35 years with the exception of ONE year teaching a third grade in the morning and a 4/5 split in the afternoon. in lieu of creating multiple lessons for art I taught Origami. there was no internet with YouTube in those days. I had only BOOKS. Origami was all new to them and so it worked out well and I could teach the same models to all three groups. Later I taught origami after school to kids as an extra curricular activity. Later I was invited to join a special team of teachers at a summer camp for gifted students called EXPLORATIONS for McGill university. I taught 17 summers there. I taught Origami all afternoon to novices and those who had taken my class could later, take a more advanced class in the morning. I also have another hobby, quilting. I make quilts for charity, family, friends and sometimes for wall hangings in my house.. To counterbalance all the sitting involved in both folding and sewing, I swim 4 km (160 lengths of the pool). I am in the water at 6:30 am at the local indoor pool morning 3 mornings a week. I started tracking my mileage at the end of May 2016 and am at 4 million 300 thousand meters. that is almost like swimming from Montreal to San Diego! Happy Folding!
C.Lum
I'm an educator (kids to postgraduate students) at heart who has dabbled in origami since my children were in grade school, but I became a much more serious folder during the pandemic because I had the opportunity to study with so many wonderful teachers and folders from all over the world via Zoom. I like problem-solving and trying new things and origami offers plenty of opportunities to do both.
Ashley Ahrens- Viquez
Ashley Ahrens-Víquez '17 has a background in outreach coordination, philanthropy, project management, and grant reporting. Her previous work has included managing large-scale grant programs, developing campaigns to engage diverse audiences, and building relationships with stakeholders across various sectors. She has consistently focused on initiatives that promote community engagement, social good, and educational equity. Currently, Ashley serves as the Program Operations and Engagement Manager at the Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education, where she supports programs such as Pactful and eSPAC3. In this role, she contributes to program growth, community engagement, and operational support for the Institute’s initiatives.
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS & DONORS
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
+ Living Coast Discovery Center, AoPS Academy
About Us!
The STEAM Youth and Community Conference was created by Dr. Odesma Dalrymple, Dr. Perla Myers and Dr. Joi Spencer, educators with a passion for STEAM, and a belief in the power of young people, together with their communities, to make a difference in the world!
Rebecca Ottinger, STEAM Youth and Community Conference Project Manager, 2025.
