SMASH

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We aim to build a strong STEM workforce through academic learning and hands-on experiences for high school and college students.

We empower students through intensive education, rigorous coursework, and resources for success in college and careers. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn!

10/15/2026

🚨 LAST DAY TO DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT!

We're in the final stretch of our 25th Anniversary campaign, and we need your help reaching our $700,000 goal!

Every gift helps SMASH continue providing transformative STEM education and opportunities to the next generation of scholars.

And through TODAY, eligible donations are matched dollar for dollar, up to $350,000! 💙💚

25 years of SMASH. The future starts with YOU.

Help us finish strong: smash.org/25thanniversary

10/14/2026

ONE DAY LEFT to double your impact! 💚

We've raised $529,934 toward our $700,000 goal, and we're not done yet.

For 25 years, SMASH has helped students discover what's possible in STEM. Now, we're counting on our community to help us build the next 25.

We're 76% of the way there, with just one day left before our anniversary match ends. Every gift made by October 15 can be matched dollar for dollar, helping us reach more future STEM leaders.

Let's finish strong! 💙

Give today: smash.org/25thanniversary

10/08/2026

Day 2026 is here! 💙

Today, donors across the country are putting their Donor-Advised Funds to work for the causes they care about most.

A DAF gift to SMASH helps create more opportunities for scholars to build STEM skills, grow their confidence, connect with mentors, and prepare for college and careers.

And right now, your impact goes twice as far. In honor of SMASH’s 25th anniversary, gifts are still being matched dollar-for-dollar.🎉

✅ Choose SMASH as an organization to support through your DAF
✅ Direct your DAF gift to SMASH
✅ Spread the word and help more people invest in the next generation of STEM leaders

25 years of SMASH. Thousands of scholars and alumni. And so much more still ahead. 💙
So far, we have raised $527,746! We still have to raise $86,127 to meet the match and campaign goal.

🔗 DOUBLE your donation at smash.org/25thanniversary

09/28/2026

SMASH community, you’re invited! 🎉

Tomorrow, join us in Oakland for a conversation about the future of AI and computer science education in California.

As part of Oakland Tech Week, SMASH Chief Program Officer Cindy Lora will join leaders across education, research, and philanthropy for Investing in Ethical CS & AI Education: California’s AI Future Starts in Oakland.

They’ll dig into big questions facing schools right now: How do we prepare students to use AI thoughtfully? How do we give educators the tools and agency to navigate it? And how do we make sure new technology expands opportunity instead of reinforcing existing inequities?

Cindy will also share how SMASH is evolving our work in CS, AI literacy, and design thinking, including new ways to bring that learning to even more students and educators.

📅 Tuesday, September 29
⏰ 10 AM–12 PM
📍 Northeastern University, Oakland

The event is now open to the broader community, and we’d love to see you there.

Register: oaklandtechweek.com/sessions/investing-in-ethical-cs-ai-education-californias-ai-future-starts-in-oakland-d864263d

Co-hosted by the Kapor Foundation, Northeastern University, and the Oakland Public Education Fund.

09/24/2026

For Lyschel Shipp, SMASH is more than a summer program.

As a returning SMASH educator and now SMASH Morehouse College Site Director, Lyschel has seen what happens when scholars are trusted to lead their own learning, build from their own ideas, and connect with a community that believes in them.

“The students get the opportunity to build at SMASH,” she says.

That is what makes SMASH different. Scholars are not just learning STEM concepts. They are applying what they learn immediately, using real tools, and developing solutions connected to the communities they care about.

As SMASH celebrates 25 years, Lyschel’s story shows why this work lasts. People keep coming back because SMASH is an ecosystem built through community, opportunity, and long-term investment in young people.

Through October 15th, donations to SMASH25 are doubled through SMASH the Match. Make a gift or become a SMASH25 Champion: givebutter.com/smash25

09/16/2026

What does a SMASH opportunity become years later?

For Melanie Ramirez, it became a path to UCLA medical school. It also became an introduction to SMASH for her siblings, who went on to find opportunities of their own.

Now we’re asking our community to help make that kind of opportunity possible for the next generation.

Through SMASH the Match, every donation WILL be doubled, dollar-for-dollar, up to $350,000: smash.org/25thanniversary

And if you want to go further, become a SMASH25 Champion on Givebutter and start your own fundraiser! givebutter.com/smash25

Watch Melanie’s story. Then help us keep the ripple going. 💙

09/11/2026

One of the most rewarding parts of SMASH is watching confidence grow in real time. That impact is what we’re asking our community to help carry forward.

Through SMASH25, alumni, staff and supporters can become fundraising Champions on Givebutter by creating a personal page, sharing why SMASH matters to them, and inviting their own networks to be part of the next chapter.

So far, 43 donors have helped raise $238,841 toward our $700,000 goal. That means we still have $461,159 to go.

And right now, donations are doubled through September, making this an especially powerful time to jump in.

💙 Become a SMASH25 Champion, start your page, or make a gift: givebutter.com/smash25

SMASH is not SMASH without its community. Let’s see how far we can take this together.

09/03/2026

If SMASH has been part of your story, this is a chance to help shape what comes next. 💙 Become a SMASH25 fundraising champion. 💙

We’re inviting alumni, friends, and supporters to create their own fundraising pages through Givebutter and rally their communities around SMASH.

It’s simple: set a goal, share why SMASH matters to you, then invite friends, family, coworkers, or fellow alumni to help you reach it.

And right now, every gift raised can go twice as far. Through SMASH the Match, our Board of Directors is matching donations dollar for dollar, up to $350,000, through October 15.

So far, we’ve raised $74,252, with $275,748 still left to unlock. You can help us get there.

💙 Become a fundraising champion: givebutter.com/smash25
💙 DOUBLE your gift: smash.org/25thanniversary

Twenty-five years of SMASH brought us here. Help us build what comes next.

08/31/2026

We’re still buzzing from the 2026 SMASH National Pitch Competition, and especially from the team that took home first place: SafeLink from SMASH Morehouse. 🏆

Jordyn, Seth, Joshua P. and Joshua Y. built a low-cost emergency safety beacon and companion app designed for moments when reaching for or navigating a phone may be difficult or unsafe.

What stood out was how thoughtfully they approached the problem. They built a physical prototype, thought through accessibility and affordability, and made a clear case for why faster access to help can matter.

Out of more than 300 scholars who developed pitches across SMASH sites this summer, SafeLink earned the top spot on the national stage.

We’re proud of this team and grateful to SMASH Morehouse Site Director Lyschel Shipp for supporting them throughout the summer.

Watch the full competition here: youtu.be/WGrk7BtqiA4?si=1gJffHNZCtn5nryV

08/17/2026

🏆 MEET THE 2026 NATIONAL PITCH COMPETITION WINNERS🏆

More than 300 scholars developed pitches across SMASH sites this summer. These five teams made it all the way to the national stage:

🥇 SafeLink | SMASH Morehouse
🥈 SoUl | SMASH Atlanta
🥉 NextGen Map | SMASH Northeastern
4️⃣ SeatFull | SMASH Michigan
5️⃣ HealthBridge | SMASH Berkeley

From emergency safety to healthcare access, financial learning and support for young carers, each team built around a problem they believed was worth solving.
Huge congratulations to our national finalists and every scholar who pitched this summer. 💙

Swipe through to meet the teams, then watch the full 2026 SMASH National Pitch Competition through the link in our bio.

Address

2148 Broadway
Oakland, CA
94612

Website

http://www.smash.org/

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