What Sally Ride Science does

Sally Ride Science is an educational initiative operated under UC San Diego's Division of Extended Studies, founded circa 2000-2001 to address underrepresentation of women and minorities in science and engineering. The program delivers STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education to K-12 students, K-12 teachers, and adult learners, with the flagship offering being the Sally Ride Science Academy, a hands-on curriculum featuring real-world projects, expert instructors, and role models. Supporting offerings include Women In Leadership event series, STEM Resources for K-12 teachers, Pre-College Programs, Concurrent Enrollment, and Degree Plus certificates for UC San Diego juniors and seniors. The organization is named after Dr. Sally Ride, who became America's first woman in space on June 18, 1983, and the program continues to operate in her legacy of equity-focused STEM advocacy.

The underlying platform relies on UC San Diego's institutional learning infrastructure, including the Canvas learning management system, MyExtension, and the newly launching Triton Student System (TSS) for Fall 2026 enrollment. There is no proprietary technology layer or significant custom-built software documented; the educational experience is delivered through instructor-led courses and event-based programming rather than a standalone product platform. Distribution and enrollment leverage the university's extended studies marketing channels and self-serve course registration.

Revenue is generated through educational program and course enrollment fees paid by individual K-12 students, families, and teachers, rather than through enterprise contracts or institutional licensing. As a unit of a public university system under the Regents of the University of California, the initiative is effectively a government state entity operating within UC San Diego's continuing education division. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is determined via UCSD Extended Studies tuition schedules. The go-to-market motion is event- and enrollment-driven, relying on UCSD institutional channels, community events (including Women In Leadership), and organic social media to reach K-12 audiences nationwide.

Name

Sally Ride Science

Legal name

Regents of the University of California

Website

https://sallyridescience.ucsd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sally Ride Science is an educational initiative under UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies that delivers STEAM programs to K-12 students, professional development resources to K-12 teachers, and the Women In Leadership event series. Founded in 2000 and named for America's first woman in space, it focuses on closing equity gaps in science and engineering education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 STEAM Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Science & STEM Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAH)

Keywords

• STEAM education programs
• K-12 STEM curriculum
• Teacher professional development
• Women in STEM leadership
• Pre-college academic enrichment

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Educational Program Fees: As a unit of UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, Sally Ride Science generates revenue through course and program enrollment fees for K-12 students and professional development programs for teachers. Programs include the Sally Ride Science Academy and STEM Resources for K-12 teachers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sally Ride Science delivers STEAM-focused educational programs to K-12 students and teachers through UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. Its flagship product, the Sally Ride Science Academy, offers hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math projects with expert instructors and role models. Complementary offerings include Women In Leadership events, STEM Resources for K-12 teachers, Pre-College Programs, Concurrent Enrollment, and the Degree Plus certificate program for UC San Diego undergraduates.

Product overview

Sally Ride Science is an educational initiative under UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies that promotes learning and careers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). Founded to help close the gender gap in science and engineering, the initiative now reaches learners from all backgrounds through innovative programs. The core offering is the Sally Ride Science Academy, a dynamic K-12 STEAM program featuring hands-on projects and real-world exploration with expert instructors and role models. Supporting programs include Women In Leadership events, STEM Resources for K-12 teachers, Pre-College Programs, Concurrent Enrollment, and Degree Plus certificate programs for UC San Diego students. The initiative also manages special events like the Anniversary of Sally Ride's Historic Spaceflight and Sally Ride STEM Awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sally Ride Science Academy: A dynamic STEAM program for K–12 students that brings science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to life through hands-on projects, real-world exploration, and guidance from expert instructors and inspiring role models.

Products and services

• Sally Ride Science Academy A dynamic STEAM program for K-12 students that brings science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to life through hands-on projects, real-world exploration, and guidance from expert instructors and inspiring role models. Delivered through UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies.
• STEM Resources for K-12 Teachers Professional development resources and tools for K-12 teachers to support equity-focused STEAM education in their classrooms.
• Women In Leadership Event Series An event series bringing together diverse leaders for conversations on defining bold paths, overcoming barriers, and leading with purpose, resilience, and lasting impact for women and individuals from diverse backgrounds pursuing leadership in STEM.
• Pre-College Programs Educational programs designed for pre-college students to explore STEAM subjects and prepare for higher education, delivered through UC San Diego Extended Studies.
• Concurrent Enrollment Program allowing students to join main campus UC San Diego students in exclusive courses that enrich their educational experience.
• Degree Plus A free online skills-based certificate program with the option of a paid internship, available to UC San Diego juniors and seniors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25 years of inspiring next generation of STEAM professionals

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The College of WoosterminorOthersThe College of Wooster student Abigail Williams was named the 2026 recipient of the ITA Sally Ride STEM Award, receiving an $8,000 postgraduate scholarship. This represents recognition rather than formal partnership.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Code.org: Code.org delivers K-12 computer science curriculum and equity-focused outreach programs, sharing the diversity-in-STEM mission and teacher PD angle of Sally Ride Science but specializing in computer science rather than broader STEAM.

Direct peers

• Project Lead the Way: PLTW provides K-12 STEM and STEAM curriculum, teacher professional development, and classroom programs across the U.S., making it one of the closest direct competitors in delivering school-aligned science and engineering instruction and teacher PD.
• FIRST: FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) runs K-12 robotics and STEM programs that overlap with the hands-on engineering and project-based components of Sally Ride Science Academy.
• ID Tech: ID Tech runs STEM and STEAM summer camps, after-school programs, and online courses for K-12 students, directly overlapping with the Sally Ride Science Academy on audience, modality, and content categories including hands-on science exploration and engineering.
• Girls Who Code: Girls Who Code operates programs explicitly aimed at closing the gender gap in technology and computer science for K-12 girls, mirroring Sally Ride Science's equity-focused STEAM mission and similarly targeting underrepresented students.
• Curiosity Machine: Curiosity Machine delivers hands-on, project-based STEM learning experiences for K-12 students with an emphasis on real-world problem solving, directly comparable to the academy model of hands-on STEAM projects and instructor-led exploration.
• Science Olympiad: Science Olympiad runs K-12 science competitions, events, and curriculum-aligned enrichment, competing for the same teacher and student engagement slots that drive Sally Ride Science Academy enrollment.
• Iridescent Learning: Iridescent is a STEM education nonprofit running hands-on engineering and computer science programs for underrepresented K-12 students, closely aligned with Sally Ride Science's equity-focused, hands-on STEAM model.

Broad incumbents

• Discovery Education: Discovery Education provides K-12 STEM and STEAM digital content and teacher resources at scale, competing for the same district-level curriculum and teacher PD budgets that support programs like Sally Ride Science.
• BrainPOP: BrainPOP offers broad K-12 digital educational content across STEM and STEAM subjects to schools and districts, serving an overlapping audience with wider content coverage but less depth in equity-focused community programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SallyRideSci
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SallyRideScience
• Facebookfacebook.com/sallyridescience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sally-ride-science?trk=top_nav_home
• Instagraminstagram.com/sallyridescience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sally Ride Science