UI STEM Access Upward Bound

Hello Lewis-Clark Upward Bound community, we are looking for mentors to support our summer camps June and July. Interested? Please fill out our FORM to let us know

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Happy Monday from STEM-Access Upward Bound! We love celebrating the accomplishments of our TRIO STEM-Access alumni, and today we're highlighting Lacey Conner, a previous Upward Bound Math and Science participant. Lacey recently shared an update about her journey since participating in STEM-Access. Give her story a read!

Here's what she shared with us about her experience:
My experience with TRIO is the reason I am where I am today. I genuinely don’t believe I would have graduated high school—let alone gone on to college—without TRIO’s support. Through their guidance, I was able to earn enough scholarships and grants to pay for my entire Bachelor’s degree, something I could not have achieved without the dedication and support of my TRIO coordinator.
I graduated high school in 2020, earned my Bachelor’s in Social Work in 2024, and became licensed shortly after. I am now in graduate school and will complete my Master of Social Work in May 2026, with plans to become licensed at the master’s level. I am also beginning to research doctoral and PhD programs as I continue to envision my long-term path in the field.
Throughout high school, TRIO staff consistently pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone—but always within a safe and supportive environment. Those experiences prepared me for life after graduation and built the confidence I needed to keep moving forward. TRIO helped me develop resilience, recognize my strengths, and truly believe that I am capable of achieving big goals.
I started my professional journey as an Outreach Assistant and Summer Mentor for the very program that raised me—Upward Bound Math Science. Eventually, I transitioned to Bridge Idaho Upward Bound, where I now serve as the Community Outreach Coordinator at Orofino Jr./Sr. High School. Today, I have the privilege of giving back to students who come from similar backgrounds, and I get to show them—through my own story—that it is possible.

Hello and welcome to Flashback Friday with TRIO STEM Access! We hope everyone had a great holiday break.

On December 10th, 2025, TRIO STEM Access students gathered at Art Uncorked for a Strengths Finding Workshop 🎨✨

Through creative expression and guided reflection, students explored their personal strengths and how those strengths show up in academic, professional, and everyday life.

Building self-awareness is an important step toward student success—and we loved seeing our students engage, create, and reflect together.

If you want to attend more workshops like these, reach out to us for more information!

Hello and welcome to What-Would-Happen Wednesday with UI STEM-Access Upward Bound! We hope everyone had a great holiday break - we’re back with a fresh STEM mini thought experiment 🔬

What would happen if you swapped a single atom in a molecule?

Short answer: A LOT 🧪

⚛ In organic chemistry, changing even one atom can completely transform how a molecule behaves. Take ethane (a gas) for example. If you add just one oxygen atom, it becomes ethanol, the alcohol found in beverages!

⚛ Ethanol has the exact same number of carbons and hydrogens as ethane, but that single oxygen atom changes the flammability, solubility, smell, and even its state of matter (ethanol is a liquid at room temperature; ethane is a gas).

⚛ Organic chemistry is basically molecular in Jenga – one tiny change can shift the whole structure.

Interested in exploring how small changes make big impacts? Keep an eye out for our Organic Chemistry Internship this summer during our UI campus module.

Have a great week, scientists!👩‍🔬🧑‍🔬

Welcome to Fun Fact Friday with STEM Access Upward Bound!

While our students were at MOSS, McCall Outdoor Science School, they studied ecosystem, soil, and water science 💧. They collected lake water samples from the Payette lake, and studied these samples under microscopes, discovering protozoa, algae, rotifers, diatoms, and cyanobacteria 🦠. Today’s fun fact is that a single drop of pond water can contain thousands of living organisms – an entire invisible ecosystem! 🌱💧

Thanks for tuning in to Fun Fact Friday. Have a great weekend!

Welcome to Think Big Thursday with STEM Access! This summer, our students 💡thought big 💡at Georgetown University🕍!
From the historic beauty of Healy Hall to the energy of D.C. just beyond campus, students explored what it means to be part of the Georgetown community. Learning about Georgetown’s world-class academics, vibrant campus life, and commitment to social justice gave our students a glimpse of what’s possible when you dream big and work hard!
Here's to thinking big🎓💙 Have a great Thursday!

Ready for an unforgettable summer?
Experience adventure, learning, and hands-on fun with STEM Access Summer 2026. Choose any (or all!) of our three exciting modules:

🥖Homesteading in Montana
🏫U of I Campus 101 or Internships
🌲MOSS Environmental Science

All three modules are completely free for participants!

If you're already part of the program, scan the QR code to let us know which modules you're interested in. Not a participant yet? No problem - scan the QR code to express your interest and we'll reach out. You can also contact us at [email protected] or 208-885-5819.

Happy Wacky Science Wednesday from STEM-Access!
This summer, some of our students go to be real scientists during a biophysics internship on campus! One of the topics they studied was parasitemia, which is when parasites are present in the blood. The microscope image above shows parasites in the blood using a standard light microscope, and fluorescence microscopy.
Here's a totally wacky fact about parasitemia: Malaria is caused by a group of parasites called Plasmodium. Infection occurs when a human is bitten by a female mosquito carrying the parasite. Plasmodium causes fever cycles, kind of like the human circadian rhythm that causes our waking/sleeping cycle. Plasmodium actually has its own internal biological clock that causes a synchronized bursting of red blood cells every 24, 48, or 72 hours (depending on the species of Plasmodium) to release more parasites into the blood stream.

Happy Flashback Friday from STEM-Access Upward Bound!
This past summer, our students took learning to the nation's capital! We explored Washington, D.C., diving into the history of American democracy, the separation of powers, and what it really means to be a citizen.
From the National Mall and Monuments to the Smithsonian museums, Holocaust Museum, Capitol Building, and the National Archives, students got to see history come alive.
They even mastered the D.C. Metro like pros!

Mystery Night and Summer Campus Recap is happening now! Our STEM-Access Upward Bound students are diving into a night of forensics, investigation, and fun at tonight's workshop. They're learning how to dust for fingerprints, sample DNA, and talk to a real detective!

Students are also reviewing and editing their chapters for the Pressbook e-publishing project, getting one step closer to becoming published authors!

🌳 | Flashback Friday – Exploring a Living Legacy 🌲
This past summer, students had the unique opportunity to explore the university’s historic arboretum, established 115 years ago in 1910 by Dr. Charles Houston Shattuck—the university’s first professor of forestry and founding dean of the College of Forestry.
What began as a 14-acre planting project has grown into one of Western North America’s oldest university arboretums, now home to remarkable specimens like:
🌲 Giant Sequoia
🍁 Field Maple
🌿 American Beech
🌲 California Incense-cedar
🌳 Eastern Hemlock
This grove isn’t just beautiful—it’s living history.
Students immersed themselves in the landscape, learned about both native and introduced species, and joined in some fun interactive games (yes, “just the tips” made an appearance 😂🌲).
Learning, laughter, and legacy—all in one unforgettable evening.

Save the date !!!