OAKLAND, CA (November 2, 2020) – This time last year, The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (“TSEP”) took over 100 Black and Brown high school students of color from Oakland, San Jose, and Sacramento to the Santa Cruz Mountains to learn the following: 1.) Work/Life Balance; 2.) STEM Careers; 3.) Entrepreneurship; 4.) College Readiness; and 5.) Personal Branding and Networking at its 3rd Annual TSEP Overnight Camping Conference.  However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it would nearly be impossible to conduct a hands-on, experiential STEM related workshop for high school students.  Never say never…
 
On Saturday, November 14, 2020, Fitbit will lead two interactive workshops to motivate and inspire Black and Brown high school students to pursue STEM related careers.  The first workshop, “Operation Security 101: Protecting your privacy on Social Media,” will be led by Ann Hadley & Jonathan Werrett (members of Fitbit's Information Security team) who will demonstrate how bad actors use 'open source' intelligence to find out more about their targets and how students can better protect their online privacy.  The second workshop, “Converting Signals to Steps,” will be led by Alicia Kokoszka, Eric Friedman, Conor Heneghan, Paul Stetson, and Dan Howe (members from the Fitbit Research Team), who will illustrate how the sensors that make up the Fitbit deliver step counts, heart rate and other useful data to its users.  Moreover, the students will work collaboratively to build a clock face that allows them to visualize how Fitbit goes from sensor stream to digestible metrics on its devices.
 
The icing on the cake will be a welcome by Vice President of Global Talent Management & Inclusion, Jaison Williams, and workshop presenter, Eric Friedman, who is an actual Fitbit Co-Founder!  Students do not want to miss out on this opportunity!  Registration opens on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
 
 
VIRTUAL CAMPING CONFERENCE PART 1 -FITBIT
DATE:                 Saturday, November 14, 2020
TIME:                 9:00 am (PST) to Noon (PST) or Noon (EST) to 3pm (EST)
LOCATION:        Zoom
 
 
About The Social Engineering Project, Inc.
The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (http://www.TheSocialEngineer.org) is an Oakland-based social impact venture with Stanford University that is designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through STEM related pipeline programs for underrepresented students of color.
 
About Kevin L. Nichols
Kevin L. Nichols is the Founder, President & CEO of The Social Engineering Project, Inc., an Oakland based, social impact venture with Stanford University designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through STEM pipeline programs for underrepresented students of color and diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting for tech companies. Nichols has been featured on LinkedIn’s Hall of Fame, Yahoo’s Blog, in the Examiner, Black Enterprise, CNN Money, Reuters, MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal. Millions saw Kevin while logging in to LinkedIn.com from 2011-2014. For more information and full CV and Bio, please visit http://bit.ly/KLNport.
 
About Jaison Williams
Jaison Williams is VP of Global Talent Management for Fitbit, where he is a key member of the HR leadership team. He is responsible for Inclusion & Diversity, learning & leadership development, talent & performance management, and engagement.
 
About Eric Friedman
Eric Friedman is Fitbit’s Co-Founder and CTO. Previously, Eric served as an Engineer Manager at CNET Networks, as a Co-Founder of Wind-Up Labs, a founding engineer of Epesi Technologies, and a technical member of the Real-Time Collaboration Group at Microsoft Corporation. Eric holds a B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science from Yale University.
 
About Shawna Kovacs
Shawna Kovacs has spent 25+ years in the Talent & Organization Development world as well as the Technical Sales/Sales Management side for various technology companies including Microsoft, Pandora Radio, and most recently Fitbit, where she has been for 2.5 years as the Director of Talent & Organization Development. Shawna lives in Piedmont California and has a 17-year-old (senior) daughter.
 
About Paul Stetson
Paul Stetson grew up in the Central Valley, came to Berkeley for college, and has remained in the Bay Area ever since. He has over 25 years of academic and industrial experience in retinal imaging, pulse oximetry, and other areas of biomedical technology. In his work in the industry, he has been fortunate to also work with clinical academic groups to validate several product developments, generating over 50 academic publications and 26 patents. His work at Fitbit has focused on signal analysis for heart rate and exercise, and evaluation of tracker performance on kids.
 
About Dan Howe
Dan Howe is a Research electrical engineer at Fitbit who designs and tests new sensors for measuring health and activity. He studied electronics for medical devices at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He enjoys running, biking, and weight lifting as part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As someone who was inspired to study engineering by a middle school robotics competition, he is looking forward to working with the TSEP students to help ignite a passion in technology.
 
About Alicia Kokoszka
Alicia Kokoszka is a Research Scientist at Fitbit, focusing on algorithm and hardware performance. She has her Master’s in biomechanics where she focused on the degradation of balance and stability with age. Her passion for healthy aging pushed her to apply her skills into industry to inspire individuals to live healthier lives.
 
About Jonathan Werrett
Jonathan Werrett is Head of Information Security at Fitbit and has spent 15 years helping a range of companies both build and break their security.
 
About Ann Hadley
Ann Hadley is the lead for Governance, Risk and Compliance and works with engineers to implement security as a first-class feature.

 
Please find a video overview of a previous year's camp here. 
 

                                                         NEWS RELEASE

Direct Line: (415) 490 – 8010                @SocialEnginProj                 Kevin@TheSocialEngineer.org
 
                                                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
                                                                MAY 26, 2020 
 
Stanford Summer STEM Camp Goes Virtual During COVID-19
 
 
OAKLAND, CA (May 26, 2020) – Rather than scrap the 7th installment of our hands-on, culturally relevant STEM summer day camp during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Social Engineering Project (“TSEP”), Stanford’s Graduate School of Education (“SGSE”), and SLAC Accelerator Laboratory (“SLAC”) have partnered to bring Science In The City (“SITC”), virtually. Parents have been homeschooling for weeks and are worried that their children are missing out on substantive learning. In the past, a week-long camp at a top tier institution of higher learning, such as Berkeley or Stanford would cost ($600-$3,000 per week), however, SITC’s tuition is $350 per student and has a ½ off Memorial Day Sale until June 1, 2020.  Moreover, third party organizations typically rent out space at these college campuses, but are rarely curated by the institutions themselves.  For these and other reasons, Dr. Bryan Brown of SGSE, Kevin L. Nichols of TSEP, and Dorian Bohler and Margaux Lopez of SLAC have designed a low cost, traditional STEM,  summer experience for incoming 5th and 6th grade underrepresented students of color (African American/Black, Chicano/Latino/LatinX, Indigenous/Native American, and Pacific Islander).
 
The purpose of SITC is for students to fall in love with math, science, physics, and chemistry. By doing so, they have a higher probability of going to college, majoring in a STEM related major, and working in the tech industry in order to improve the quality of life of their families and communities.  This year’s curriculum will focus on weather, biotech (genetics), and exploring the most advanced research available on COVID-19.  Further, students will also interview researchers, scientists, and engineers; and have additional assignments to do at home if they choose for more exposure to the concepts taught.
 
After surveying our students, we have removed various barriers for students to participate thanks to the generous donations from the following companies:  
 
1. Hardship Scholarships – Northrop Grumman will provide scholarships for students experiencing economic hardships or that have been impacted by COVID-19;
​
2. Hardware – First Republic Bank will provide laptop computers for students who are experiencing hardships and/or do not have devices to participate with.

3. Lab Protection – ThermoFisher Scientific will provide lab coats, gloves, goggles, and backpacks for our students.
 
SITC is open to incoming 5th and 6th grade students of color across the nation.  Enrollment is low due to the lack of financial resources that parents have and the ability to reach potential students to apply.  The registration deadline has been extended from June 1, 2020 to June 15, 2020. Lab materials and the appropriate applicable items will be mailed home to each camper.  If you would like to support SITC, please visit our online fundraiser and make a donation today. If you would like to register your child, please visit here.
 
 
SCIENCE IN THE CITY SUMMER STEM CAMP
DATES:                 Monday, July 13th through Friday, July 17th
TIME:                   9:00 am (PST) to Noon (PST)
LOCATION:           Zoom
 
 
About
The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (http://www.TheSocialEngineer.org) is an Oakland-based social impact venture with Stanford University that is designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through STEM related pipeline programs for underrepresented students of color.
 
About
The Science in the City research team (http://scienceinthecity.stanford.edu) at Stanford University is comprised of former science teachers who examine how to improve science teaching and learning in urban contexts. The Science in the City website provides a venue for students, teachers, and colleagues to exchange ideas and to hear about new research findings.
 
About
Kevin L. Nichols - Co-Founder, President & CEO

• Legal Industry Technology Executive with over 20 years experience
• Diversity Consultant and Expert for 20+ years
• Attended U.C. Berkeley, Executive Program for Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and Fundraising Academy at JFK University’s Sanford Institute of Philanthropy Academy Certificate at JFK University’s Sanford Institute of Philanthropy. For a full biography and CV, please visit http://bit.ly/KLNport.

 
About
Dr. Bryan Brown - Co-Founder - Chief Education Officer

• Former High School Science Teacher
• National Academy of Education and Spencer Foundation Fellow in 2005
• 2007 winner of the National Association for Research in Science Education (N.A.R.S.T.) award
• Associate professor of science education at Stanford University and engages in research that explores how language and identity impact student learning.
• Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Hampton University, a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of California, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the U.C. Santa Barbara. 
  
  

About 
Dorian Bohler, M.S. – Engineering Physicist – SLAC

• Physicist, author, and advocate for educational equity.
• Research interests include developing electron beam diagnostic systems and investigating neural networks for machine learning applications in accelerator control system
• Attended Morehouse College, Georgia Institute of Technology, Wayne State, and Stanford University.

 
About
Margaux Lopez, M.S. – Mechanical Engineer - SLAC

• Commissioning engineer at the Rubin Observatory in La Serena, Chile.
  
• Supports the integration and testing of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Camera with the telescope, including refrigeration system verification and camera maintenance facility construction.
  
• Technical curriculum writer, program director, and mentor for STEM outreach programs.
  
• Attended California Institute of Technology and San Jose State University

Please find a video of news coverage from a previous year's camp here. 
​
                                                                      -END-

​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 20, 2019
 
CONTACT: KEVIN L. NICHOLS
Founder, President & CEO
The Social Engineering Project, Inc.
Phone: (415) 490-8010
Email: Kevin@TheSocialEngineer.org
Website: www.TheSocialEngineer.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSocialEngineerProject
Instagram: @SocialEnginProj
Twitter: @SocialEnginProj
 
Tech Companies Expose High School Students of Color to STEM Careers in the Outdoors
 
Oakland, CA (October 20, 2019) – The tech industry is full of stresses, misconceptions, elitism, cronyism, etc.  There is no direct pathway to enter the industry and once you get there, it is difficult to succeed without a lot of assistance.  This is why The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (“TSEP”) is hosting its 3rd Annual TSEP Overnight Camping Conference for high school students of color (“SOC”).
 
TSEP will take approximately 100 SOC to YMCA Camp Loma Mar in the Santa Cruz Mountains to learn about work/life balance; the environment; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (“STEM”) related careers; entrepreneurship; college; personal branding; and networking.
 
Michael D. Thomas, Esq. (Of Counsel of Ogletree) and Juan Walker, Esq. (Sr. Corporate Counsel for Oracle) will lead mindfulness workshops; Lonni Rivera (reporter/journalist) and Lindsay Simonds (philanthropic fundraising consultant) will lead yoga classes for the work/life balance component.  Tech companies such as lead sponsor, Northrop Grumman (gears), Walmart Labs (paper coding), GoPro (cameras), and Apple (robotics coding) will lead workshops on the various technologies used in their day to day lives as engineers.  Then, the students will learn about pitch competitions and present why the workshop that they were assigned was the best and why for prizes.  Further, representatives from U.C. Berkeley, U.C. Santa Cruz, and San Jose State will discuss the application process, what college life is like, and why the students should attend.  Lastly, the students will learn about their personal brand and the importance of networking currently and in their future endeavors.
 
Kevin L. Nichols, TSEP’s Founder, President and CEO says, “These students will develop the skills necessary to be successful in tech or any other industry by setting good boundaries, knowing how to recharge, and how to go about achieving what they really want in life.”
 
For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/TSEPcc19.  The cost per student is $175, however, there are hardship scholarships for $50.
 
TSEP OVERNIGHT CAMPING CONFERENCE
DATES:                 Friday, October 4th at noon through Sunday, October 6th at 4pm
LOCATION:          YMCA Camp Loma Mar, in Loma Mar, California (Santa Cruz Mountains)
 
 
About
The Social Engineering Project, Inc. is an Oakland based Google and Microsoft funded social impact venture with Stanford University that is designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through pipeline programs for underrepresented students of color.  TSEP’s sponsoring 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is the YMCA of the East Bay while it awaits its own tax exempt status.
 
About
Kevin L. Nichols has worked in multifaceted capacities in some of the most prolific international law firms in the country, such as Morrison & Foerster, Paul Hastings, Heller Ehrman, and Holland & Knight. His interest in diversity and technology began while he was a mechanical engineering/diversity intern at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.  Later, he became the Executive Director of the California Diversity Council and the African American Wellness Project. Kevin has become a social networking expert and full-time consultant specializing in litigation technology (eDiscovery), diversity, and social media marketing for the legal industry.  Nichols has been featured on LinkedIn’s Hall of Fame, Yahoo’s Blog, in the Examiner, CNN Money, MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal. Millions saw Kevin while logging in to LinkedIn.com from 2011-2014.  He is now the Founder, President & CEO of The Social Engineering Project, Inc.  For a full biography and CV, please visit http://bit.ly/KLNport.
 
Please view some of the TSEP’s previous news coverage here.
 
-END-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 19, 2019
 
CONTACT: KEVIN L. NICHOLS,
Founder, President & CEO
The Social Engineering Project, Inc.
Phone: (415) 490-8010
Email: Kevin@TheSocialEngineer.org
Website: wwww.TheSocialEngineer.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSocialEngineerProject
IG/Twitter: @SocialEnginProj
 
 
Underrepresented Students of Color Learn Culturally Relevant STEM Education at Stanford
 
 
Oakland, CA (June 19, 2019) - Summer STEM camps are luxuries for underrepresented students of color (“USOC”).  Many students are either unaware that they exist, are priced out of attending if the camp is at a top tier institution of higher learning, such as Cal or Stanford ($600-$3,000 per week), or do not have adequate means of transportation to get to and from the camp.  For these and other reasons, Dr. Bryan Brown of Stanford’s Graduate School of Education and Kevin L. Nichols of President & CEO of The Social Engineering Project, Inc. created Science In The City ("SITC").
 
SITC is a low cost week long intensive summer camp for incoming 5th and 6th grade USOC from throughout the Bay Area at Stanford University that takes place from June 24th to June 28th. Students are transformed into scientists on Day 1, are given lab coats, and are exposed to 15 culturally relevant chemistry, physics, and science experiments, which is more than some of these students will get during an entire year of traditional schooling.  Students will use tools like Virtual Reality in conjunction with traditional STEM/engineering to learn about the world and how it relates to them from a culturally relevant perspective.  For example, one of our labs focuses on the Flint Water Crisis, where students create water filtration units to segregate out dirty particles of water and learn how to lobby their elected officials to deal with the remaining lead in their cups.  Students learn to use science to protect themselves, their families, and their community.
 
Science in the City is made possible through a collaboration between Stanford University's Science in the City Research Group and The Social Engineering Project, Inc. and receives funding from various tech companies in Silicon Valley, such as Google, Walmart Labs, Airbnb, Microsoft, and the Port of Oakland.  Healthy lunches and transportation are provided.
 
 
SCIENCE IN THE CITY SUMMER CAMP
DATES:                 Monday, June 24th through Friday, June 28th
TIME:                    9:00 am to 3:00 pm
LOCATION:          Stanford University School of Education
 
 
About
The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (http://www.TheSocialEngineer.org) is an Oakland-based Google and Microsoft funded social impact venture with Stanford University that is designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through STEM related pipeline programs. 
 
About
The Science in the City research team (http://scienceinthecity.stanford.edu) at Stanford University is comprised of former science teachers who examine how to improve science teaching and learning in urban contexts. The Science in the City website provides a venue for students, teachers, and colleagues to exchange ideas and to hear about new research findings.
 
About
Kevin L. Nichols has worked in multifaceted capacities in some of the most prolific international law firms in the country, such as Morrison & Foerster, Paul Hastings, Heller Ehrman, and Holland & Knight. His interest in diversity and technology began while he was a mechanical engineering/diversity intern at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.  Later, he became the Executive Director of the California Diversity Council and the African American Wellness Project. Kevin has become a social networking expert and full-time consultant specializing in litigation technology (eDiscovery), diversity, and social media marketing for the legal industry.  Nichols has been featured on LinkedIn’s Hall of Fame, Yahoo’s Blog, in the Examiner, CNN Money, MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal. Millions saw Kevin while logging in to LinkedIn.com from 2011-2014. He is now the Founder, President & CEO of The Social Engineering Project, Inc.  Kevin attended U.C. Berkeley, an Executive Program for Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and is pursuing a Fundraising Academy Certificate at JFK University’s Sanford Institute of Philanthropy. For a full biography and CV, please visit http://bit.ly/KLNport.
 
About
Bryan A. Brown is an associate professor of science education at Stanford University, a member of Stanford’s Science in the City research team, and a cofounder of The Social Engineering Project. His work in the center for research on teaching at Stanford focuses on improving urban science education. He focuses on exploring how language and identity impact urban students’ learning. Dr. Brown is a former high school science teacher who earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Hampton University, a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of California, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was the 2007 winner of the National Association for Research in Science Education’s (N.A.R.S.T.) award for outstanding early career scholarship. Dr. Brown is the founder and executive director of Etu Schule, a non-profit organization that supports the educational development of minorities throughout the state of California.
 
Please find a video of news coverage from a previous years's camp below. 
​
-END-

​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 17, 2018
 
CONTACT: KEVIN L. NICHOLS
Founder, President & CEO
The Social Engineering Project, Inc.
Phone: (415) 490-8010
Email: Kevin@TheSocialEngineer.org
Website: www.TheSocialEngineer.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSocialEngineerProject
Instagram: @SocialEnginProj
Twitter: @SocialEnginProj
 2nd Annual TSEP Overnight Camping Conference at Camp Cazadero
 
Oakland, CA (September 17, 2018) – The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (“TSEP”) is an Oakland based Google and Microsoft funded social impact venture with Stanford University that is designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry. One of its programs is the TSEP Camping Conference, an overnight camp for underrepresented high school students of color throughout Northern California.

October 5-7, 2018, TSEP will take approximately over 100 underrepresented 9th-12th grade high school students camping to learn about math, science, engineering, and other STEM related careers during a 3 day overnight conference at Camp Cazadero.  Buses from Santa Clara, Alameda, and Sacramento counties will take the students and 20 counselors from various tech professions to near the Russian River, where they will be free of the typical high school distractions (no signal, no texting or Wi-Fi) and be one with nature.
 
Key Outcomes
a.) Desire to go to college;
b.) Pursue STEM related careers;
c.) Develop a deeper respect for the environment and work/life balance;
d.) Learn how to apply to college, excel on exams, seek financial aid, participate in college life; and 
e.) Learn how to promote their personal brand, how to work in teams, engage in entrepreneurship, and network for future collaboration.

Workshops
In order to expose our students to various career pathways, we needed highly engaging, hands-on- workshops from tech companies to motivate and inspire our students to go to college and major in STEM related majors in order to ultimately work in tech companies.  This year, we have the following workshops and presenters:

1. Blockchain 101 - lead by Blockchain for Social Justice is designed to explain the mechanics behind blockchain technology; 
2. Starting/working at a tech company - lead by NextPlay.ai will show how to leverage tech to solve important world problems;
3. Tech with a side of Customer Success - lead by TriNet will illuminate other careers in tech such as Client Success;
4. SLA and Operations Management - lead by Walmart Labs is designed use math and engineering to problem solve error codes in order to reach a Service Level Agreement.
5.  Explanation of the game developing process and various roles involved - lead by Zynga will teach students prototyping and provide an overview of the gaming industry.
​
TSEP Camping Conference is sponsored by PG&E, Northrop Grumman, Airbnb, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. We are still fundraising to help students to attend who have applied for hardship scholarships.  If you would like to contribute, please visit our GoFundMe campaign.  

Here is the registration link for the registration page for the camp http://bit.ly/TSEPcc18. The cost per student was $125.  Hardship scholarships are available. For more information, please visit www.TheSocialEngineer.org.
 
TSEP OVERNIGHT CAMPING CONFERENCE
DATES:                 Friday, October 5th at 10am through Sunday, October 7th at 4pm
LOCATION:          Camp Cazadero, Guerneville, CA
 
 
About
The Social Engineering Project, Inc. is an Oakland based, Google and Microsoft funded social impact venture with Stanford University designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry.  TSEP achieves this end through STEM pipeline programs that lead to technical career pathways for underrepresented students of color.  TSEP’s sponsoring 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is the YMCA of the East Bay.
 
About
Kevin L. Nichols has worked in multifaceted capacities in some of the most prolific international law firms in the country, such as Morrison & Foerster, Paul Hastings, Heller Ehrman, and Hollan d & Knight. His interest in diversity and technology began while he was a mechanical engineering/diversity intern at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.  Later, he became the Executive Director of the California Diversity Council and the African American Wellness Project. Kevin has become a social networking expert and full-time consultant specializing in litigation technology (eDiscovery), diversity, and social media marketing for the legal industry.  Nichols has been featured on LinkedIn’s Hall of Fame, Yahoo’s Blog, in the Examiner, CNN Money, Reuters, MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal. Millions saw Kevin while logging in to LinkedIn.com from 2011-2014.  He is now the Founder of The Social Engineering Project, Inc., an Oakland based, Google and Microsoft funded, social impact venture with Stanford University designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry.  Kevin attended the University of California, Berkeley and recently completed an Executive Program for Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford's Graduate School of Business.  For a full biography and CV, please visit http://bit.ly/KLNport.
 
​Please view some of the TSEP’s previous news coverage here.
​
-END-
 
 

​ 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2018
 
CONTACT: KEVIN L. NICHOLS
Founder, President & CEO
The Social Engineering Project, Inc.
Phone: (415) 490-8010
Email: Kevin@TheSocialEngineer.org
Website: www.TheSocialEngineer.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSocialEngineerProject
Instagram: @SocialEnginProj
Twitter: @SocialEnginProj
 
 
 
Students of Color Learn Coding and How to Design a Commercial at Airbnb
 
 
Oakland, CA (May 14, 2018) – The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (“TSEP”) and Airbnb will hold a Family Science Night during Airbnb’s Week for Good.  Roughly 90 minority students from all over the Bay Area and their parents will visit Airbnb’s Headquarters and have their employees teach coding and how to use design thinking to create their own Airbnb commercials.  The purpose of the event is to motivate and inspire these students to go to college and pursue a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) related career.  Another purpose is for parents to learn how they can be more supportive in their children’s quest of mastering STEM education.

FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT DURING AIRBNB’s WEEK FOR GOOD
DATE:                 Wednesday, May 16, 2018
TIME:                  6pm-8pm
LOCATION:        Airbnb HQ, 888 Brannan Street, San Francisco, California 
 
About
The Social Engineering Project, Inc. is an Oakland based Google and Microsoft funded social impact venture with Stanford University that is designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through pipeline programs. 
 
About
Kevin L. Nichols - Founder
Kevin L. Nichols has worked in multifaceted capacities in some of the most prolific international law firms in the country, such as Morrison & Foerster, Paul Hastings, Heller Ehrman, and Holland & Knight. His interest in diversity and technology began while he was a mechanical engineering/diversity intern at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.  Later, he became the Executive Director of the California Diversity Council and the African American Wellness Project. Kevin has become a social networking expert and full-time consultant specializing in litigation technology (eDiscovery), diversity, and social media marketing for the legal industry.  Nichols has been featured on LinkedIn’s Hall of Fame, Yahoo’s Blog, in the Examiner, CNN Money, Reuters, MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal. Millions saw Kevin while logging in to LinkedIn.com from 2012-2014.  He is now the Founder of The Social Engineering Project, Inc., an Oakland based, Google and Microsoft funded, social impact venture with Stanford University designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry.  Kevin attended the University of California, Berkeley and recently completed an Executive Program for Social Entrepreneurship at Stanford's Graduate School of Business.  For a full biography and CV, please visit http://bit.ly/KLNport.
 
Professor Bryan Brown - Chief Educator
Bryan A. Brown joined the Stanford community during the 2004-2005 academic year after working at Michigan State University. He is an associate professor of science education and engages in research that explores how language and identity impact student learning. Dr. Brown is a former high school science teacher who earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Hampton University, a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of California, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
His co-authored 2009 research was awarded the Journal of Research in Science Teaching award as the top manuscript of 2009. He is the 2007 winner of the National Association for Research in Science Education (N.A.R.S.T.) award for outstanding early career scholarship. Dr. Brown was also named as a prestigious National Academy of Education and Spencer Foundation Fellow in 2005. Bryan's research in urban education examines how urban science education has underserved minority students by its failure to adequately design instruction that is sensitive to the language needs of urban populations. His early research projects lead to the development of an instructional approach (Disaggregate Teaching) that is designed to improve learning for underserved populations. Dr. Brown’s current research explores the similarities, or Conceptual Continuities, that exist between students’ conceptual understandings in informal learning environments and those valued by science.
 
Please view some of the TSEP’s previous news coverage here.

-END-
 

​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2017
 
CONTACT: KEVIN L. NICHOLS
Founder, President & CEO
The Social Engineering Project, Inc.
Phone: (415) 490-8010
Email: Kevin@TheSocialEngineer.org
Website: www.TheSocialEngineer.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSocialEngineerProject
Instagram: @SocialEnginProj
Twitter: @SocialEnginProj
 
 
 
1st Annual TSEP Overnight Camping Conference at YMCA Camp Loma Mar
 
 
Oakland, CA (October 4, 2017) – TSEP Overnight Camping Conference is a weekend long conference for underrepresented high school students throughout the Bay Area designed to motivate and inspire them to go to college, pursue a STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) related career., learn about entrepreneurship, and how to effective network. The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (“TSEP”) will take approximately 120 underrepresented 9th-12th high school students camping on buses from Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties to the Santa Cruz Mountains.  The students will be free of the typical technological distractions (there is no signal, no internet connectivity, no texting or Wi-Fi) and will be one with nature.  Many of the students have indicated that they have never been camping, slept anywhere other than a family/friend's house overnight, or have been to the mountains before.
 
On the first day, the students will begin the weekend by going on a hike to gain a greater appreciation for the environment and their role in preserving it. They will also learn the importance of work life balance.  Then the students will be broken up by gender and geographic regions in cabins.  They will participate in ice breakers and team building exercises.  Lastly, they will experience their first camp fire and partake in s'mores.
 
During the second day, the students will participate in workshops organized by various companies such as Microsoft (our lead sponsor), Northrop Grumman, PG&E, Walmart Labs, GoPro, Cisco/Meraki, etc. about the types of technology these companies produce and what it is like working there, in order to motivate and inspire the students to pursue careers in technological fields.
 
On the last day, representatives from U.C. Berkeley will go over the application process for college, including succeeding with standardized testing, financial aid, and personal statements.  Moreover, the students will learn about the importance of networking by connecting with their cabin-mates and other members of the camp via LinkedIn, personal branding, and entrepreneurship. 
 
The Key Outcomes are 1.) Desire to go to college; 2.) Pursue STEM related careers; 3.) Develop a deeper respect for the environment; 4.) Learn how to apply to college, excel on exams, financial aid, college life; and 5.) Learn about their personal brand, how to work in teams, entrepreneurship, and network for future collaboration.
 
“Having attended a similar camps as a high school student, chaired 2 of them as a college student for the National Society of Black Engineers, and now organizing them as an entrepreneur, I can truly attest to that power of being in a completely foreign environment with students from all over the Bay Area, learning about careers that you didn’t know existed, and being motivated to go to college,” says Kevin L. Nichols, TSEP’s Founder, President and CEO.  “Many of the people that I have met have been life long friends, mentors, and sponsors.  This is an invaluable life changing experience.”
 
TSEP will have over 25 staff volunteers and counselors on hand who have passed background checks and care deeply about fostering our community.  
 
Here is the registration link for the registration page for the camp http://bit.ly/TSEPcc2017. The cost per student was $50.  Hardship scholarships were available, however, the camp is full, as well as its waitlist.
 
TSEP OVERNIGHT CAMPING CONFERENCE
DATES:                 Friday, October 6th at noon through Sunday, October 8th at 4pm
LOCATION:          YMCA Camp Loma Mar, in Loma Mar, California (Santa Cruz Mountains)
 
 
About
The Social Engineering Project, Inc. is an Oakland based Google and Microsoft funded social impact venture with Stanford University that is designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry. It accomplishes this through strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting for tech companies and through pipeline programs.  TSEP’s sponsoring 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is the YMCA of the East Bay.
 
About
Kevin L. Nichols  has worked in multifaceted capacities in some of the most prolific international law firms in the country, such as Morrison & Foerster, Paul Hastings, Heller Ehrman, and Holland & Knight. His interest in diversity and technology began while he was a mechanical engineering/diversity intern at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.  Later, he became the Executive Director of the California Diversity Council and the African American Wellness Project. Kevin has become a social networking expert and full-time consultant specializing in litigation technology (eDiscovery), diversity, and social media marketing for the legal industry.  Nichols has been featured on LinkedIn’s Hall of Fame, Yahoo’s Blog, in the Examiner, CNN Money, MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal. Millions saw Kevin while logging in to LinkedIn.com from 2012-2014.  He is now the Founder, President & CEO of The Social Engineering Project, Inc., a joint venture between Stanford University, Google, Inc. and Microsoft designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry.  For a full biography and CV, please visit http://bit.ly/KLNport.
 
​Please view some of the TSEP’s previous news coverage here.
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​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 5, 2017

CONTACT: KEVIN L. NICHOLS,
Founder, President & CEO
The Social Engineering Project, Inc.
Phone: (415) 490-8010
Email: Kevin@TheSocialEngineer.org 
Website: wwww.TheSocialEngineer.org 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSocialEngineerProject 
Twitter: @SocialEnginProj 



The 4th installment of the Science in the City Summer Camp at Stanford 


Oakland, CA (July 06, 2017) - Science in the City ("SIC") is a week long intensive summer camp for incoming 5th and 6th grade underrepresented students from throughout the Bay Area at Stanford University that takes place from July 24th to 28th. With all of the excitement and emphasis lately on the "T" in STEM (which is becoming synonymous with coding), the other letters - Science, Engineering and Mathematics often get left behind.  Although learning how to code is important, students of color may set their sights on being great coders but not set their sights on going to college, majoring in a STEM related major at top school, and receiving a degree where they can be recruited to work at a tech company. That is why the purpose of Science in the City is to transform its students into scientists that develop a deep, passionate love for science (engineering, chemistry, and physics).

Science in the City is made possible through a collaboration between Stanford University's Science in the City Research Group and The Social Engineering Project, Inc. and receives funding from various tech companies in Silicon Valley, such as Google, Inc.  SIC realizes that the lack of enrichment programs during the summer time disproportionately affects students of color, so its objective is to provide low cost academically rigorous science programs for these students.

“The only goals are to make sure that these students have fun and fall in love with science at the same time,” says Bryan A. Brown, cofounder and curriculum director of Science in the City Summer Camp and Associate Professor of Science Education at Stanford University. "We will incorporate more virtual reality in our curriculum to demonstrate how students can look at science from different lens," says Dr. Brown.

"These students will learn about real life problems in their communities, such as the effects of lead contamination in their water, like in Flint, Michigan and Oakland, has on the human body and what steps that they can take as 11-12 year olds to protect themselves, their families, and their communities,” says Kevin L. Nichols, cofounder, President and CEO of The Social Engineering Project, Inc. 

The staff consists of 3 master teachers (majority of Stanford Ph.D. candidates) and 6 counselors (college students from mostly U.C. Berkeley in STEM related majors).  Organic healthy meals will be provided at the camp.  Students will participate in labs and then have to explain the concepts that were presented and what they learned from them.  A shuttle will take 15 students from the East Bay to and from Stanford each day from Oakland. For more information about Science in the City, please visit  http://bit.ly/TSEPSIC17.


SCIENCE IN THE CITY SUMMER CAMP
DATES:                 Monday, July 24th through Friday, July 28th
TIME:                    9:00 am to 3:00 pm
LOCATION:          Stanford University School of Education


About
The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (www.TheSocialEngineer.org) is an Oakland-based Google and Microsoft funded social impact venture with Stanford University that is designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry through STEM related pipeline programs.  Its sponsoring 501(c)(3) is the YMCA of the East Bay.

About
The Science in the City research team (scienceinthecity.stanford.edu) at Stanford University is comprised of former science teachers who examine how to improve science teaching and learning in urban contexts. The Science in the City website provides a venue for students, teachers, and colleagues to exchange ideas and to hear about new research findings. 

About 
Kevin L. Nichols has worked in multifaceted capacities in some of the most prolific international law firms in the country, such as Morrison & Foerster, Paul Hastings, Heller Ehrman, and Holland & Knight. His interest in diversity and technology began while he was a mechanical engineering/diversity intern at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.  Later, he became the Executive Director of the California Diversity Council and the African American Wellness Project. Kevin has become a social networking expert and full-time consultant specializing in litigation technology (eDiscovery), diversity, and social media marketing for the legal industry.  Nichols has been featured on LinkedIn’s Hall of Fame, Yahoo’s Blog, in the Examiner, CNN Money, MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal. Millions saw Kevin while logging in to LinkedIn.com from 2012-2014. He is now the Founder, President & CEO of The Social Engineering Project, Inc., a joint venture between Stanford University, Google, Inc. and Microsoft designed to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry.  For a full biography and CV, please visit http://bit.ly/KLNport. 

About
Bryan A. Brown is an associate professor of science education at Stanford University, a member of Stanford’s Science in the City research team, and a cofounder of The Social Engineering Project. His work in the center for research on teaching at Stanford focuses on improving urban science education. He focuses on exploring how language and identity impact urban students’ learning. Dr. Brown is a former high school science teacher who earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Hampton University, a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of California, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was the 2007 winner of the National Association for Research in Science Education’s (N.A.R.S.T.) award for outstanding early career scholarship. Dr. Brown is the founder and executive director of Etu Schule, a non-profit organization that supports the educational development of minorities throughout the state of California.

​Please find a video of news coverage from last year's camp below.  
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                                                             By: Kevin L. Nichols 

 
[October 31, 2016] OAKLAND, Ca.  Since the extinction of Affirmative Action, Black and Brown students now rely on tech companies to diversify themselves either for business reasons or for overall goodwill.  The “diversification” process often looks like sending recruiters to (or recruiting from online) top tier Ivy League or prestigious predominately White colleges and universities such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT, or Berkeley to seek out diverse talent.  Lately, since many tech companies have produced their dismal diversity numbers, they have started recruiting at the top tier Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCUs”) such as Morehouse, Spellman, and Howard, but it usually ends there.  Attending these schools allow those students not only access to the best instruction and resources, but they also have an irreplaceable intangible advantage that cannot be denied, access to an impeccable network of classmates, alums, and connections.  What happens to the Black and Brown students at non-top tired colleges and universities that want to work in the tech industry? 
 
Not only do they have to bust their butts to get the best grades that they can and develop a strong support system to help them stay in school, but they also must master the art of networking.  Networking is an essential skill that is rarely, if ever, taught to Black and Brown students.  Many people take networking for granted as if students will develop this skill through telepathy or osmosis.  This is not the case.  Networking stems from self-confidence, security, and an extroverted comfortability that many of our students do not possess, especially in subject matters such as science, technology, engineering, and math (“STEM”).  Therefore, we must focus on developing these skills in a concerted way.  This is one reason why The Social Engineering Project, Inc. (“TSEP”) is so important. 
 
Although there is a greater emphasis on technology and encouraging Black and Brown students to learn coding, the other letters in STEM often get neglected, i.e. science, engineering, and math.  TSEP focuses on science, mathematics, engineering, physics, chemistry, and writing as the underlying fabric of students’ education.  We reinforce this knowledge that they should already be receiving in their current schools.  What they will not get in regular school is how to develop the confidence they need to meet new people, tactics and training on how to connect with people in a professional manner, how to follow-up after meeting people, how to develop their personal and professional brand, and how to actively do their part in the networking continuum.   
 
Often you might hear the phrase, “Your network is your net worth”.  It could not be more true than today.  In the startup world, you cannot even speak to investors or venture capitalists without mutual connections and introductions, thus Black and Brown entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage from the outset.  Thus, we need to teach our young people the intangible skills of networking, in addition to being excellent students, so that they may be successful in the tech industry.   Please support The Social Engineering Project, Inc. as we instill this knowledge in our youth!

Kevin L. Nichols is an entrepreneur, a legal technology, diversity, social media, and political consultant who resides in the Bay Area.  He is a passionate community organizer and activist.  Kevin is affectionately known as The Social Politician™ and The Social Engineer™ who is engineering a better life for the next generation, socially.  For more information, please visit  http://bit.ly/KLNport.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 29, 2016

CONTACT: KEVIN L. NICHOLS, Founder, The Social Engineering Project, Inc.
Phone: (415) 490-8010
Email: Kevin@TheSocialEngineer.org 
Website: wwww.TheSocialEngineer.org 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSocialEngineerProject 
Twitter: @SocialEnginProj 



Science in the City Summer Camp in Oakland Aims to Get Young African American Students Excited About Science


Oakland, CA (July 29, 2016) - The third Science in the City Summer Camp for African American fifth and sixth grade students takes place at the Roses in Concrete Community School in East Oakland from August 8 to August 12, 9 am to 3 pm. The goal of this intensive Google-sponsored camp is to get underserved students of color excited about science by teaching them biology, physics, chemistry and engineering. 

The summer camp is a collaboration between Stanford University's Science in the City research group and The Social Engineering Project, Inc. and aims to make academically rigorous science programs accessible to students of color. Minority students are the most susceptible to summer learning loss. Many families can’t afford to pay for summer enrichment programs.

“The Science in the City Summer Camp makes high-end science instruction available and affordable to underserved students throughout the Bay Area,” says Bryan A. Brown, cofounder and curriculum director of Science in the City Summer Camp and Associate Professor of science education at Stanford University. “The team of extraordinary teachers, scientists, and college students offer camp students something that is hard to come by in the Bay Area; excellent science instruction, examples of minority scientist teaching the courses, and fun engaging science.”

“The Science in the City Camp is so important because it focuses on the underlying subjects that are crucial in maximizing career options of African American youth,” says Kevin L. Nichols, Founder, President and CEO of The Social Engineering Project. “Although there are a lot of buzz words, emphasis, and resources being steered towards ‘coding,’ software programing and ‘app’ creation, career options, particularly in tech, are limited if you develop an aversion to math, chemistry, physics, and engineering courses at an early age. Our goal is create a love for STEM while students are young so that they can pursue any professional career that they choose. We just hope that it is tech related.”

“By the end of the week, the goal is to provide students with three vital outcomes,” says Bryan Brown, PhD. “First, it is our sincere hope that students will grow in their love of science. Through working in a number of disciplines, we hope students gain an understanding of the joy of science and how unique each area of science can be. Second, we hope the students will grow as learners. The students will be challenging during their time in the camp. The result of this challenge will be students who develop a deep understand of science ideas. Third, the camp is design to motivate the students to believe they can become scientists. Students will be taught by teachers of color and students of color. The idea is to model excellence in science learning at every level.”

This year there are 45 registered coed students; the majority are attending the camp as scholarship students. Bryan Brown oversees the course curriculum, which will be taught by six college students from various colleges across the country. This year's camp is funded for the first time by a grant from Google.org, which helps pay the teachers, the cost of materials (such as test tubes for chemistry class, solar balloons, hover crafts, and marshmallow launchers) and healthy meals for the students and staff.

If you are interested in covering the camp, please contact Kevin L. Nichols (415) 490-8010 or Kevin@TheSocialEngineer.org. 

SCIENCE IN THE CITY SUMMER CAMP
DATES:                 Monday, August 8 through Friday, August 12th
TIME:                    9:00 am to 3:00 pm
LOCATION:          Roses in Concrete Community School
                             4551 Steele St, Oakland, CA 94619


About
The Social Engineering Project (www.TheSocialEngineer.org) is an Oakland-based social impact venture that aims to address the lack of diversity in the tech industry. It was founded in March 2016 by Kevin L. Nichols who was involved with the first two Science in the City Summer Camps in 2013 and 2014. 

About
The Science in the City research team (scienceinthecity.stanford.edu/) at Stanford University is comprised of former science teachers who examine how to improve science teaching and learning in urban contexts. The Science in the City website provides a venue for students, teachers, and colleagues to exchange ideas and to hear about new research findings. 

About 
Kevin L. Nichols, Founder, President & CEO of The Social Engineering Project, oversees the fundraising and administrative responsibilities of the Science in the City Summer Camp. Kevin L. Nichols has worked in multifaceted capacities in some of the most prestigious international law firms in the country, such as Morrison & Foerster, Paul Hastings, and Holland & Knight. His interest in diversity and technology began while he was a mechanical engineering/diversity intern at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Later, he became the Executive Director of the California Diversity Council. Kevin has become a social networking expert and full-time consultant specializing in litigation technology (eDiscovery), diversity, and social media marketing for the legal industry. Nichols has been featured on LinkedIn’s Hall of Fame, Yahoo’s Blog, the San Francisco Examiner, CNN Money, MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal. For a full biography and CV, please visit http://bit.ly/KLNport . 

About
Bryan A. Brown is an associate professor of science education at Stanford University, a member of Stanford’s Science in the City research team, and a cofounder of The Social Engineering Project. His work in the center for research on teaching at Stanford focuses on improving urban science education. He focuses on exploring how language and identity impact urban students’ learning. Dr. Brown is a former high school science teacher who earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Hampton University, a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of California, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was the 2007 winner of the National Association for Research in Science Education’s (N.A.R.S.T.) award for outstanding early career scholarship. Dr. Brown is the founder and executive director of Etu Schule, a non-profit organization that supports the educational development of minorities throughout the state of California.

About
Roses in Concrete Community School (rosesinconcrete.org/) is a charter school in East Oakland that opened in the fall of 2015. It is an immersion school, with classes taught in Spanish and English, serving the diverse population of the area. The school also serves as a community center, partnering with local nonprofit organizations to provide wrap-around services in education, health, housing, and job training to families in the area. 
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