Sally Ride Science

25th Anniversary Sally Ride Science

Celebrating 25 Years Of STEAM Education

2026 is a milestone year for Sally Ride Science

Celebrating 25 Years Of Stem Education

America’s first woman in space had retired from NASA and was teaching physics at UC San Diego when she decided it was time to use her famous name to advance a cause she cared about. To help narrow the gender gap in science and engineering, Sally Ride would start a science company. In 2001 She joined with her life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, and three colleagues – Karen Flammer, Terry McEntee and Alann Lopes – to found Sally Ride Science. Their goal was to inspire all students, especially girls, in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

Over the years, Sally Ride Science created acclaimed STEM programs for girls and boys of all backgrounds across the country. Ride died of pancreatic cancer in 2012, and in 2015, Sally Ride Science found a new home as a nonprofit based at UC San Diego under the direction of UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. Today, Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego continues Ride’s legacy with innovative programs encouraging students in STEAM (STEM plus arts). Dr. Maysoon Lehmeidi, Director of Education and Community Outreach for the Division of Extended Studies, and Megan Lancaster, Assistant Director for the Division of Extended Studies, oversee the Sally Ride Science programs, with O’Shaughnessy serving as executive director.

25 Things You Might Not Know About Sally Ride

Sally Ride is remembered as the first American woman in space and as a champion of diversity and equity in science education. But those were only two aspects of a rich and multi-faceted life. To mark the 25th anniversary of the founding of Sally Ride Science, here are 25 things you might not know about Sally Ride.

25 things you might not know about Sally Ride

New Home At UC San Diego

Pioneering astronaut Sally Ride spent almost two decades as a physics professor at UC San Diego, and she felt a close connection to the university’s values and goals. So it was fitting that, three years after Ride’s death, Sally Ride Science relaunched as part of UC San Diego. The company became a nonprofit entity, Sally Ride Science at UC San Diego, in 2015, and it has continued to build on Ride’s work by creating programs to promote equity and inclusion in STEAM. The partnership makes perfect sense, said Dr. Edward Abeyta, UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies’ associate dean for Education and Community Outreach, who oversees Sally Ride Science programs. “A key goal of UC San Diego’s Strategic Plan is cultivating a diverse and inclusive university community that takes bold actions to ensure learning is accessible and affordable to all,” Abeyta said. “Sally Ride Science connects directly to this goal by offering programs that provide additional educational access to key target groups, including girls, at-risk youth and first-generation students.”

Sally Ride Science By The Numbers

Sally Ride’s high-profile advocacy of diversity in science helped start a national dialogue about the importance of involving girls and boys of all backgrounds in STEM studies and careers. But over the years, Sally Ride Science’s programs have also reached and inspired thousands of students and educators on an individual level. Here’s a look at the impact of 25 years of Sally Ride Science programs.

100 Science Festivals

From 2001 to 2014, Sally Ride Science hosts 100 science festivals on college campuses across the country. More than 50,000 students, mostly girls, take part in the one-day events.

90 Resource Books

From 2004 to 2013, Sally Ride Science publishes 90 books for upper elementary and middle school students on topics ranging from astronomy and STEM careers to climate change and sustainability. The books reach an estimated 6 million students.

6,894 Students Served

Starting in 2016, Sally Ride Science Academy provides summer STEAM workshops for 6,894 students from elementary school through high school.

600K Access EarthKAM

Through Sally Ride EarthKAM, more than 600,000 students in 80 countries are able to capture images of Earth from a camera on the International Space Station. Sally Ride Science operates the NASA program at UC San Diego from 2001 to 2015.

$130K in Scholarships

To make sure all students can take advantage of its programs, Sally Ride Science offers scholarships, including $138,555 awarded to students attending the summer Sally Ride Science Academy.

30K Teachers Trained

Over five years starting in 2009, Sally Ride Science Academy trains more than 30,000 teachers on how to embed diverse role models into science lessons. Some 1,000 teachers from across the country come to San Diego for in-person instruction and return to their districts to train other educators.

100K Access to GRAIL MoonKAM

More than 100,000 students around the world take part in GRAIL MoonKAM, the educational outreach program for NASA’s 2012 GRAIL mission. Sally Ride Science runs MoonKAM, which lets students request photos of the lunar surface from cameras on twin satellites orbiting the Moon.

4,483 Library NExT Students

Beginning in 2017, Library NExT provides free Sally Ride Science workshops for 4,483 students in grades 3-12. The workshops are offered at 23 library branches around San Diego through a partnership between San Diego Public Library and UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies.

1K Support TOYchallenge

Over 7 years, more than 1,000 students from across the country took part in TOYchallenge, an engineering design competition started by Sally Ride Science in 2002. Student teams created toys and games in categories like “Toys that Teach” and “Remarkable Robots.”

A Look Back

Women in Leadership

The 2024 Women in Leadership event honors the legacy of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, and also celebrates the 25th anniversary of Sally Ride Science. The panel discussion brings together trailblazers who have shattered barriers and paved the way for women across the globe. That lively and thought-provoking conversation gave rise to an annual event aimed at inspiring girls and women to embrace leadership roles. Through a candid and timely discussion, the distinguished panel will share their personal stories and vision on how women can help lead our nation to a better future.

A conversation with Ina Garten, cookbook author and television host; Michelle Hanabusa, founder and creative director of UPRISERS® and co-founder of Hate Is A Virus; and Margot Lee Shetterly, author of “Hidden Figures”: the No. 1 New York Times Bestseller and No. 1 hit film. Lynn Sherr, author and award-winning journalist will moderate the discussion.

Research Vessel Honors Sally Ride’s Legacy

In 2013, a year after Sally Ride’s death, U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that a new state-of-the-art research vessel would be named in her honor. R/V Sally Ride, which was commissioned at San Diego’s Broadway Pier in 2016, is owned by the Navy and operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Tam O’Shaughnessy, Ride’s life partner, serves as ship’s sponsor. The 238-foot ship, one of the most technologically advanced research vessels in the world, carries scientists on expeditions to study the oceans and atmosphere as they address some of the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Sally Ride Science Academy

The Sally Ride Science Academy summer program offers science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) workshops for students entering K-12th grade. During these workshops, students assume the roles of space explorer, marine biologist, computer programmer, and more as they immerse themselves in hands-on projects.

Online Professional Development

Sally Ride Science Professional Development offers a robust portfolio of seminars, courses and certificates for diverse audiences, including K-12 and postsecondary instructors; administrators and counselors; tutors; parents; and communities. These programs provide a contextually grounded, role-appropriate and holistic approach to professional enrichment in STEAM education, aligned with the mission of Sally Ride Science, as well as with local, state and national standards.