SMASH

The Summer Math and Science Honors (SMASH) Academy was launched at UC Berkeley in 2004 under the Level Playing Field Institute (LPFI) as their flagship program to provide underserved high school students, including students of color, low-income students, girls, and first-generation college students, with a free, holistic five-week STEM summer enrichment program over three summers. The program immerses them in college life, with access to intensive academic courses, hands-on group projects, and social-emotional learning on a university campus. Scholars continue their STEM education throughout the academic year with Saturday workshops on Computer Science and College Success. Over the following years, SMASH Academy has expanded to nine additional sites, including UC Davis in 2016. LPFI officially rebranded as SMASH in 2018, and the SMASH Alumni Program was added to supplement our Academy program. The Alumni Program includes SMASH Admit, where all SMASH high school seniors receive individualized coaching, college visits, financial education, and invitations to tech-related conferences, as well as alumni events. The hub of the Alumni Program is SMASH Rising, which provides our alumni in their first, second, and third years of college with access to their first paid internship.