Mission Bay Hub Students Showcase Insights at End-of-Year Exhibition

San Francisco (May 21, 2024) - Dozens of Mission Bay Hub students came together at UCSF to show a packed room of community members and peers what they learned this year through the hands-on, STEM-focused, program. Mission Bay Hub acts as a bridge into health, life sciences, and other STEM-aligned fields, with Mission Bay serving as the ultimate classroom for 11th and 12th grade students. 

“My favorite part about the experience was getting access to a lot of medical facilities. I had the opportunity to shadow a dental clinic for five to eight weeks and it was really eye opening for me. We talked about what type of PHDs I could pursue. They’re very hands on,” Mission Bay Hub student, Fa’atoaga Ta’ale, said. 

The 2023-2024 school year was the first full year cohort of the program based on the UCSF Mission Bay campus. They currently partner with four SFUSD high schools including: June Jordan School for Equity, Thurgood Marshall Academic High School, Mission High School, and The Academy at McAteer. 

One of the main components of the program is advanced research and real-world application. “Especially with the way technology is developing over the years I think putting students into programs like this at a young age can help develop curiosity and motivation to pursue STEM careers,” Ta’ale explained. 

“It’s a perfect experience and opportunity to get out there and have an off campus experience but still be integrated on campus with your other classes,” Mission Bay Hub student, Athena Ayame said. Students attend every day for half of their day and take the remainder of their course at their partner SFUSD high school. 

“I really like science and I really want to be a nurse so I thought it would be a cool step up for me. Being able to adventure out of school and learn stuff that I wouldn’t be able to learn inside school. I recommend it to students to get out of their comfort zone and adventure out,” Mission Bay Hub student, Jordan Thomas said. Students in the 2023-2024 cohort earn high school credits in English, Biological Sciences, and AVID (elective). The program is scheduled to move into the new SFUSD Mission Bay campus in Fall 2025.