For over 25 years, the Durfee Foundation has partnered with Earthwatch Institute to inspire well-rounded high school students with a passion for science and technology to work alongside scientists conducting field research nationwide.

Ignite LA offers high school students in Los Angeles County an opportunity to stir their imaginations, expand their potential, and inspire their curiosity about science.

Selected students spend two intensive weeks during the summer at a scientific research station somewhere in the U.S. such as the Eastern seaboard, the Rockies, or the Southwestern desert. Students investigate topics such as climate change, species adaptation, and environmental sustainability.

The Ignite LA Student Science Awards recipients—more than 1,400 smart, inquisitive students —have contributed more than 84,000 volunteer hours to 84 projects since the program’s inception.

Please visit Earthwatch Institute for additional information about this program.

Goals

• To help students become scientifically literate and confident in their investigation of the natural world
• To stimulate the imagination of students and to open them up to new possibilities they may not have explored otherwise