At Sci-Tech, we often talk about building a more whole, just, and compassionate world through our passion for science and technology, and one of the ways we do this is through our teen social justice programming. Our social justice programming at Sci-Tech offers pathways for tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders to think about how we can integrate our values with STEM practices, and how our community can use STEM practices (including scientific thinking, ethical design, and science communication) to create a better world.
Sci-Techkun Olam Workshop
Sci-Techkun Olam is a special workshop for eleventh grade campers to learn about how STEM topics and fields relate to equity, access, and social justice. Campers explore topics ranging from bias in medical research, to the ethics of AI, to engineering for accessibility. Throughout the session, teens learn about and discuss societal challenges and are provided with experiential support in exploring possible resolutions to seemingly insurmountable systematic problems. The session culminates with project proposals, where teens can imagine and propose STEM-based solutions to existing problems.
Sci-Tech L’Taken Trip to Washington D.C.
Last year, Sci-Tech organized our first cohort to the L’Taken Social Justice Seminar, an amazing weekend and learning opportunity for teens organized by the Religious Action Center. We hit our registration cap in just a couple of weeks in 2025, and we’re excited to return again to Capitol Hill for the January 23, 2026 weekend!
At L’Taken, our teens joined hundreds of other Jewish teens for a fun and meaningful weekend in Washington, D.C. learning about and advocating for issues on Capitol Hill that they cared about. In addition to attending programming on bills and topics led by L’Taken, our Sci-Tech trip included opportunities to learn about the intersections of STEM and social justice issues, the role of federal funding for science research, and the importance of science communication in advocacy. Finally, our teens spoke to staff members of Representative Seth Moulton and Senator Ed Markey (who represent Byfield!) about school safety for LGBTQ+ students and gun violence protection. Our teens chose these topics based on their own interests and passions. You can read their speeches below:
Photos from L’Taken 2025
Advocacy Evening Program at Camp
This year (2025), Dava K, a Machon and past participant in the Sci-Techkun Olam workshop and L’Taken fellowship, participated in the RAC teen justice fellowship. As part of this fellowship, she designed a program to engage her peers in advocacy against gun violence and chose to bring this program back to Sci-Tech. Dava and the eleventh graders spent an evening program learning about why gun violence protection is important to Jews, research and data on gun violence protection, and the efforts to reduce gun violence by reintroducing the Assault Weapons Ban. The eleventh graders then joined Dava in writing emails to Senators and Representatives, asking them to co-sponsor the Assault Weapons Ban or thanking them for their support.