OUR WORK Opportunity X is dedicated to making research more accessible through school programs, workshops, and science fairs. To increase diversity and representation in research and science fairs, we start and lead research programs at middle schools with a high percentage of socioeconomically challenged students. In our programs, we hold weekly research workshops, where we teach our students basic science research concepts, organize enjoyable science experiments, and individually mentor students in conducting their own independent research projects. Our ultimate goal is to be able to guide students through the entire research process from start to finish. In order to provide all of our programs entirely cost-free to our students, we hold many restaurant and company fundraisers. In addition to our main Northern California branch, we currently lead branches in states across the country including Southern California, Maryland, Florida, and New Jersey. ​ Each year, we also host a series of signature events to support STEM education for low resourced students across the globe. Most recently, we launched the first Opportunity X International Research Symposium and the inaugural Opportunity X Virtual Summer Boot Camp that attracted almost 300 students worldwide. In this section Sc hool Programs Signature Events

Hercules Middle School January - March 2021 Opportunity X representatives: Renee Ng Week 1 - Origami Frog Robots Thank you to the people who came to our first meeting! We had a good portion of students turn on their camera, ask questions in chat, and communicate with the volunteers. Today we focused on the scientific and mathematical functions of origami, and taught the students how to fold origami frogs! They later added on a small motor powered by a coin battery to make it buzz around. As they worked, they earned points that eventually led them to winning a prize. Week 2 - Dancing Ghosts Today we learned about static electricity using balloons, tissue paper, and napkins. Students learned about what makes up an atom (protons, neutrons, electrons), positive/negative/neutral charges, and the attractions and repelling of these charges. They cut out ghosts from the tissue paper, rubbed the blown up balloon with the napkin to increase the static electricity, and hovered the balloon over the ghosts to make them float in midair. Week 3 - Lava Lamp Today we learned about density, immiscible liquids, and biphasic mixtures. Students learned about the science behind the bubbling effect of the lava lamp, and used food coloring to easily see the carbon dioxide gas bubbles rising up. They used baby oil, water, and Alka-Seltzer for their experiment. Week 4 - Water Beads Today we learned about refraction, index of refraction, and dimensionless numbers. We also learned about Snell’s Law, Fermat’s Principle, and polymers. Students put water beads in a cup of water overnight, then took observations by themselves. They learned how the water beads appear ‘invisible’, and how Fermat’s Principle proves Snell’s Law. Week 5 - Paper Chromatography Today we learned about capillary action, the mobile phase, the stationary phase, and solvents using paper chromatography. Students learned about natural examples of capillary action, what parts of the experiment were the mobile and stationary phase, and what the solvent was. They used a black marker and observed the many colors that came out once the solvent reached the ink. Week 6 - Elephant Toothpaste Today we had our last experiment Zoom! We learned about chemical changes and their indicators, as well as catalysts, specifically catalase. Students learned about natural chemical changes, like rotting fruit and cooking. Later on, they did elephant toothpaste at home, and told volunteers about their various observations. Some students had ratios that were slightly off, while some used cold water instead of warm water. We had a lot of positive reviews from students!

Contact Us Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns! Email us at main.opportunityx@gmail.com Like our Facebook page! Follow us on Instagram at @opportunity.x Donate to Opportunity X! All fund go towards supporting our student's science fair projects: Thanks! Message sent. Send If you are a student or staff who is interested in having us run a research program at your middle school, please fill out this school interest form . VOLUNTEERING: If you are a high school student who is interested in volunteering for Opportunity X, please fill out this application form ! We are looking for students who have experience in STEM research and want to give back to their community.

KIPP Heritage Academy September 2020 - May 2021 Opportunity X Representatives: Anika Bhatia, Nikhil Jagota, Swathi Badrinarayanan, Rhea Nanavati, Nimisha Gupta Sponsoring Teacher: Ms. Simran Sabharwal ​ We are so excited to resume our school program at KIPP Heritage Academy, held afterschool on Fridays! Material Kits ​ Every four weeks, the team plans the experiments and collects the materials for the kits. About 15 kits are assembled each time, and then Anika drops them at the school, where Ms. Ly and the other teachers will distribute them to the students! Group Photo 10/23/2020 ~ Week 1 ~ Blind Spot Activity For our first online meeting, we did a Blind Spot Activity and saw some fascinating optical illusions! We also reviewed the eye’s structure, how images are processed, and their pathway to the brain. Then, we discussed how blind spots occur and some other instances in which the blind spot comes into play. Finally, we wrapped up with a Kahoot to review what was discussed and showed the optical illusions! 10/30/2020 ~ Week 2 ~ Lava Lamps Today the students performed a Lava Lamp experiment and set up for next week’s Bouncy Egg experiment! The students had their water bottles filled with water and oil and added food coloring for a bit of personalization. Next, Alka-seltzer tablets were placed in the bottle, and the students excitedly watched how the Lava Lamp was simulated. We then discussed the concepts of polarity, density, and immiscibility to describe why water and oil do not mix and why oil sits on top of the water. Then, we played the review Kahoot and explained the setup of the Bouncy Egg experiment (put the egg in a cup with vinegar and add food coloring for personalization)! 11/06/2020 ~ Week 3 ~ Bouncy Egg We continued with the Bouncy eggs experiment, took out the eggs from vinegar, and rinsed off the disintegrated eggshells with water. The students then watched a video demonstrating the bouncy egg’s information to review what we would do next. Next, we went over the concepts regarding the reaction between the calcium eggshell and the vinegar, especially how carbon dioxide bubbles are created when the shell is dissolving. We also reviewed permeability in the shells and membranes on the egg while making connections between the egg and human cells’ membranes. We then learned about osmosis: liquids going through permeable membranes. After talking about osmosis, we played a Kahoot! 11/13/2020 ~ Week 4 ~ Rainbow Skittles This week we started off by talking about the point system and what prizes we would give out to the winners. Afterward, we reviewed the Rainbow Skittles experiment concepts, which included concentration gradients and density. Then we conducted the experiment: circle the Skittles on the edge of a bowl/plate, slowly pour water into the bowl, and watch. We reviewed the concepts once more with a review question and played the Kahoot. This week we had the opportunity to have the teacher’s sister join us! She attended medical school and spoke to us about her experiences and work. 11/20/2020 ~ Week 5 ~ Lemon Volcanoes: We started the meeting by overviewing the upcoming experiments in the next few weeks. Today’s experiment is an exciting lemon volcano! The concepts of today’s experiment focused on pH, specifically about ions, bases, and acids and how bases and acids neutralize each other when mixed. Next, we moved onto the experiment for the day: cut a piece of lemon in half, scoop a bit of the lemon out, add food coloring if desired, and finally add a spoonful of baking soda into the lemon. Watch as it starts to bubble and rise. The students really enjoyed this one! 12/03/2020 ~ Week 6 ~ Balloon in a Bottle Today we did a balloon in a bottle experiment, where we learned about pressure changes from different water temperatures. The hot water inside the bottle would partially inflate the balloon, and the cold water outside would induce the change in pressure and cause the balloon to contract and come inside the bottle. The student had to try a few times and heat the water properly before the experiment worked. 12/10/2020 ~ Week 7 ~ Jumping Raisins This week, we carried out an exciting experiment with raisins and clear soda. The students learned about buoyancy and density to explain how the raisins move up and down through the soda. The bubbles in the fizz allow the raisin to float to the top, but once the bubbles pop, the raisin falls. 12/17/2020 ~ Week 8 ~ Dancing Snowflakes During our last meeting of the year, we decided to do a themed experiment! This week’s demonstration was related to static electricity, with the use of tissue paper and balloons. The students cut out snowflakes and leaves and rub the balloons with the tissue for a minute. Next, they held the balloon over tissues and watched as it floated and stuck to the balloon. Some students also rubbed the balloons to their hair and watched as the balloon stuck to their heads. Finally, we discussed some resolutions and plans for the holidays! 1/8/2021 ~ Week 9 ~ Unpoppable Water Balloon We first watched a video comparing a balloon without water and a balloon with water when placed over a candle. The balloon with water didn’t pop. Then we talked about why that is. We talked about the specific heat of the water. Finally, we played Kahoot and watched the video one more time. 1/15/2021 ~ Week 10 ~ Robotics Presentation Today was different from the normal meetings and experiments, we did a presentation about Robotics, asking who had experience and telling the students a little bit about what they were, asking them what they knew and whether they would want to try it out. Most students had no experience. We also talked about the different organizations in Robotics. We detailed the reasons for joining Robotics, like Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and having Fun! We also watched a video that showed a robot dancing to music. We also detailed the design process of building a robot. We gave examples of robots that were built in other seasons. We explained the components of robots as well. These included sensors, motors, and control systems. We also watched another video of a robot peeling grapes. Finally, we played a Kahoot reviewing what we learned about robots. Lastly, we watched a video of another robot competition example. 1/22/2021 ~ Week 11 ~ Floating Stickman We started by watching a video about the experiment, which is a floating stick man. We then got the materials and tried it out for ourselves. We watched the same video to understand why the stick man floated upward. We then talked more about the concepts and the reasons that the experiment works. We described what polymers are. We also spoke about the polarity of molecules and the composition of Expo-Marker ink. We then asked them some questions to test their understanding. After that, we asked whether they have all the materials for the water filter and finally played Kahoot. 1/29/2021 ~ Week 12 ~ Water Filter We started out today by starting our experiments for the water filter, getting the materials first. There were a few problems with students not having all the materials. We got creative with materials to replace missing ones. It took a while to get everyone’s filters set up correctly. Eventually a few people had somewhat successful experiments. We then learned about water filters and how they work, and went through the concepts relating to them. We also learned about wells and aquifers and the like. 2/12/2021 ~ Week 13 ~ Capillary Action We started out by discussing some possible science projects. Then, we started the experiment, first gathering materials. Then, we watched a video demonstrating the experiment and what to do, even though it was a little different. Finally we started doing the experiment, giving them the procedures for what to do. We filled the cups with water and then put food coloring in them. It took a while to get results, since the experiment takes a long time. Then, we talked about the concepts, specifically the reasons why water climbs up the paper towel, which are adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension. All of these have to do with the fact that water is a very sticky liquid, and sticks to many things. Adhesion is why water sticks to other things, cohesion is why water sticks to itself, and surface tension is the tendency for water to shrink to expose as little surface as possible. 2/25/2021 ~ Week 14 ~ Penny in a Balloon We introduced ourselves to the new members. Afterward, we discussed why scientists did experiments and gave some questions for them to read. We gave some examples of science projects as well. And talked about independent and dependent variables, and about details on the science fair. We had everyone get the materials, a penny and a balloon, and went through the procedures for the experiment. We talked about the centripetal and centrifugal forces for the content, describing why the penny keeps rotating in the balloon. We explained why the balloon would pop if you spin it too fast. 3/5/2021 ~ Week 15 ~ Science Fair Today we starting thinking about possible ideas for the science project and went in depth about the scientific method. We introduced the Science Exploration Project, which is not an experiment but is about researching and reporting to explain an interesting scientific phenomenon. We talked a lot about the scientific method and gave examples of how to use it. We shared examples of experiments to do for the science fair. We went through the steps of the scientific method, like how to write a hypothesis and test it, how to analyze data, and how to communicate your findings with others. 3/12/2021 ~ Week 16 ~ X-Ray & Tape Today we had a shorter meeting. We checked in on the ideas for the upcoming science fair project to see if any of the students had yet thought about potential ideas for their project. We had ideas such as filtering water, and tried finding what questions to ask that can be tested. After this, we talked about X-rays, and gave examples like at the dentist’s office. We watched a video about the discovery of X-rays. We talked about radiation and how it affects our DNA, and what that will do to the rest of our body. We also talked about triboluminescence, which is an emission of visible light caused by rubbing, or other frictional contact. We watched a second video about triboluminescence, demonstrating how lifesavers (the candy) give off light when putting pressure on them. We watched a third video on how peeling tape quickly can give off X-rays. 4/2+9/2021 ~ Week 17 & 18 ~ Science Fair Project Today we thought about science fair projects for the science fair. We watched a video about batteries and electromagnets. We discussed the concepts of conductivity, which is the degree to which a specified material conducts electricity, and electromagnetism, which is where things with electricity running through them create a magnetic field. We discussed what a battery is, which is a device that stores energy in the form of chemicals. These chemicals are called electrolytes, and the two poles of a battery are called electrodes. We watched another video detailing how to make an electromagnet. Once we did these, we played Kahoot. We then continued discussing our science fair projects. Finally, we introduced an event of an online science fair with kids from multiple schools. 4/23+30/2021 ~ Week 19 & 20 ~ Working on Science Fair Projects We spent time working on the Science Fair Projects with the students. The students got the materials for their science fair projects, and so we continued working on the projects. We assisted them in going through the Scientific method, and discussing how to analyze their data. 5/7/2020 ~ Week 21 ~ Finalizing Science Fair Projects: The students had finished their data collection and analysis, and we started working on their slides and helped record the videos for submission.

KIPP Heartwood Middle School September 2017 - May 2018 At our pilot program, KIPP Heartwood Academy in East San Jose, we led a weekly after school enrichment where we came together with students every Tuesday to build upon students' scientific curiosity and perform scientific experiments. Throughout the entire year, we led 15 students in conducting their own research projects. While KIPP had never sent any students to the Synopsys Championship Science Fair, this year, we were able to mentor and guide a student who participated in the Synopsys fair. He designed and developed an app that individualizes learning to each user, and used the other students as human feedback for his project. In addition, we did several awesome experiments, like filtering dirty water into significantly clearer water using simple cheap methods, harnessing the power of the sun with just tape and a box to heat water, and modeling the solar system. Overall, the students were able to expand their scientific horizons and discover STEM subjects that interested them. ​ ​ Photos from KIPP Heartwood 2017-2018 (scroll for more): See more photos of KIPP Heartwood 2017-2018 here .

River Glen Middle School August 2018 - May 2019 We are so excited to start the Science Fair Club at River Glen Middle School. Alice is leading the weekly science program at this bilingual immersion school in San Jose. We teach students scientific method through a series of intriguing science experiments and help students start their own science research projects. This year, four students from River Glen competed in the prestigious Synopsys Science and Technology Championship in March 2019, and all four have won Special Awards. Five students presented their science research findings at the inaugural Opportunity X Science Fair in May 2019. ​ Club adviser / sponsor: Ms. Kendall Bell Opportunity X Representative: Alice Feng Photos (scroll for more): See more photos of our 2018-2019 River Glen program here . WEEK 1: Sept 5, 2018 Strawberry DNA Come join us to extract DNA from a strawberry! Every living thing has DNA, even strawberry. Today we used a simple method to extract DNA from strawberries. Strawberries have 8 copies of DNA in one cell, so it’s the easiest to get DNA from. The workshop started with a short lecture on DNA and DNA extraction by Alice, and ended with everyone taking home a test tube of strawberry DNA. WEEK 2: Sept 12, 2018 Shiny Pennies Today we used vinegar to clean dirty pennies. Alice brought lots of dirty pennies. We added vinegar, waited and waited. The pennies turned out shiny! Then we put brand new bolts into the solution that was used to wash the pennies, guess what, they turned green. After the experiments, Alice explained the theory behind and encouraged the student to try different acidic solution at home, such as lemon juice, with varying acidity and see how the outcome changes. ​ WEEK 3: Sept 19, 2018 Tech Challenge Day Today is our Tech Challenge Day! We worked in groups of three. Each group is given 10 items: pencil, sponge, hanger, paper clip, plastic box, aluminum foil, tape, cardboard box, newspaper and wood stick. But each group can only use five the objects to build a freestanding structure that is as tall as possible and can balance an orange on top. One team takes a shortcut, they hang their structure from the rooftop, of course their structure is the tallest and they got really nice prize! Other teams build their structure from the floor or desk. Some can stand for a while, some collapsed. But everyone had lots of fun. We also talked about why they chose what they choose, and how to improve their design next time. Following the challenge, Alice gave the student one paragraph to read, and asked them to come up with science related questions from reading this simple paragraph, for example, why does basketball bounce? The team with the most questions got really nice prizes. WEEK 4: Sept 26, 2018 Grow It Yourself Mushroom Material We have been waiting for this day for a month! Our mycelium (muschroom) GIY (Grow It Yourself) kits finally arrived. Alice brought three kits - Aspen, Hemp, Kenaf. These are three different substrates, possessing different physical properties (weight, strength), so the mycelium material will be different once grown. To our surprise, one bag may be expired as it was packed on Jan 18! Today, our job is to rehydrate mycelium from the GIY kit, give it nutrition, and wait for mycelium to regrow. The kit already contains dehydrated mycelium, once rehydrated with water and flour, mycelium will regrow. It’s very important to disinfect hands, gloves and all container, as mycelium is very prone to mold contamination. We put the rehydrated filter bags into the closet under the sink, so they can grow quietly without sunshine and disturbance. We will come back in two weeks! WEEK 5: Oct 10, 2018 Grow It Yourself Mushroom Material Continued After two weeks, all of our mycelium bags have turned white, and there is lot of condensation inside the bag, meaning mycelium is alive, growing and breathing! We worked in groups to make mycelium planters and bricks. Most students prefer planters as they are more useful. The students took extra care to disinfect their hands and containers so that mycelium won’t get contaminated. WEEK 6: Oct 24, 2018 Grow It Yourself Mushroom Material Continued We worked with the students to study their mycelium planters and bricks. The students brainstormed the quantitative and qualitative properties of their own mycelium bricks. Alice brought home the mycelium containers and baked them so that mycelium will stop growing. WEEK 7: Oct 31, 2018 Halloween Halloween!!!! The kids got candies and goodie bags. They got their cooked mushroom containers back. All of their mycelium planters and bricks grew so well, there is not a single contamination case, Alice is so proud of the students, as they followed instructions precisely and disinfected their hands and utensils as instructed. Otherwise, mycelium can easily get contaminated by other green/yellow/black fungus. Only one planter has a hole on its bottom as there were not enough mycelium materials there. All other planters are in good shape and ready to serve a plant. WEEK 8: Nov 14, 2018 Synopsys mode We are in Synopsys mode!!! Today Alice introduced school science fair and Synopsys science fair, the deadlines for Synopsys, and what need to be done before the deadline. She got the emails of all the students. Every two students teamed up, we have 7 teams total. Each team created a google folder and a document to keep track of their ideas. Most students said they ‘may’ attend synopsys and school science fair. The students all put some ideas in their “idea” doc, but Alice feels in order to get into Synopsys, the projects need to be a bit more involved. So she hand selected 40 more ideas from sciencebuddies, that she thinks fit into the students’ interest, knowledge and budget level. WEEK 9: Nov 28, 2018 Synopsys projects finalized Today is quite a success. We finalized on five projects, three of them are to be submitted to Synopsys, and two of them will go in Opportunity X Science Fair only. All the projects are team projects, with two to three team members each. The students got lots of inspiration from sciencebuddies and came up with their own projects. Alice gave the students more details of Synopsys science fair, and how to fill out the applications, and other logistics. WEEK 10: Dec 5, 2018 Planning for Synopsys We welcomed two brand new members to join our science research club today. We will have three Synopsys projects and three Opportunity X-only projects. Alice helped the Synopsys teams filled out their page 1 applications and printed them out. Other teams continued working on their ideas of the projects -- writing proposals. We are onto a good start. The plan for the following weeks are: Dec 12: filling out page 2-8 of the application, let parents sign. Jan 9: review proposals Jan 16: review proposals and check application package. Jan 23: before Jan 23, mail all the packages. WEEK 11: Dec 12, 2018 Filling out Synopsys applications Today’s session is the last one of the year. The two Synopsys teams are busy filling out page 2-8 of the applications today. And they did it! The forms are being sent home so their parents can sign it. The teams also spent time on writing the proposals. They have some really promising and fun ideas. We will keep it a secret for now. See you all in 2019! WEEK 12: Jan 9, 2019 Working hard on Synopsys applications We are almost done with Synopsys application today. The two Synopsys teams are writing Detailed Research Plan today. They filled in much of the details. Alice will review the research plan during the week. A couple of more students join the club meeting today, they must have heard of the rewards of doing Opportunity X science fair. They started immediately on searching up science fair ideas. WEEK 13: Jan 16, 2019 Synopsys projects in action - Sideway Plants There is a storm today, but most of the students are still coming to attend the club meeting. Bravo!!! Alice has helped the students revise their detailed research plans during the weekend, and the applications look good and ready to be mailed!! ​ During today’s meeting, Alice spent 30 minutes explaining the concepts involved in the two Synopsys teams’s projects - Water On Water, Sideway Plants vs Right Side Up Plants, hence most of the club would know what’s going on and they can broaden their views on how to carry out their own science experiments. ​ Then the whole club started helping the Sideway Plants team plant their seeds. There are six types of plants being planted: basil, blue lake bean, radish, spinach, forget-me-not flower, alyssum flower. We planted the seeds into two germinations trays, each tray has 18 cells, so each type of plants occupy three cells in each tray. One tray is the UP tray, one tray is SIDEWAY tray. ​ The kids spent about 45 minutes planting the seeds. There is quite a lot of soil everywhere, so they spent 10 minutes cleaning up. Looks like no one in the club ever planted anything, so let’s hope the seeds will germinate and sprout next week. Next week we will start on the Water On Water project. WEEK 14: Jan 30, 2019 Water on Water After two weeks, all the plants are growing so well! All of them have sprouted. The radish grows the fastest. At a glance, the UP tray does grow better than the SIDEWAY tray. Frankie and Jorge measure the height of all the plants and wrote down the measurement on their lab notebook. ​ Our second group kicked off their project too. We have six identical bottles(10oz each) made of hard clear plastic, so each time, we can do the same experiment three times simultaneously, i.e. collecting three samples. In two large 30oz containers, we put water, salt, food coloring. The two containers have different salinity and colors (red and blue). Then we pour the salt water from the 30oz container into three 10oz bottles. Then we flip one blue colored bottle onto one red colored bottle and see how do the salt water mix. Some discoveries: If the bottle on the top has higher density, then it flows down and mix with the bottom bottle. If the bottle on the top has lower density, then it barely mixes with the bottom bottle, i.e., the water just float on top We finished four sets of test today, will need to continue next week. Other students are still searching online and deciding on their own projects to prepare for OpportunityX science fair. WEEK 15: Feb 6, 2019 You scream, I scream, we all love ice cream. GOOD NEWS: both our Synopsys projects are accepted!!! Congratulations! ​ Today Alice and the students make their own icecream. The ingredients include: milk, half and half, vanilla extract, sugar. We also need ice cubes and salt. We mixed the ingredients in a sandwich-sized ziploc bag, then put the smaller bag into a large ziploc bag filled with icecubes and salt. Then we shake, shake and shake the large bag for 10 minutes. And we have icecreams! ​ The theory behind ice cream making is salt lowers ice’s melting point, so that when ice melts, the temperature is lower than 0C, which is needed for the mixture to turn into ice cream. We also need to keep shaking the bag, to break up ice crystals, hence ice cream will taste smooth. After ice cream making, we continued the Water on Water project. WEEK 16: Feb 13, 2019 Synopsys posters Making posters. Today both Synopsys teams started working on their poster slides. Alice created a sample poster for each group, so they know what should be included in the poster. The two groups filled in their data, added details and did more online research on the theory behind their projects. WEEK 17: Feb 27, 2019 Synopsys rehearsal The two groups spent more time on their poster slides. Alice reviewed each slide with them and went through the theories, how they collected data, how they drew conclusions. In the end, each group rehearsed their speech. Meanwhile, two more groups are working on their opportunity X projects. They are working on water quality and prism. WEEK 18: Mar 6, 2019 Microscope exercise Alice printed the slides in color for the two groups, and they glued the slides to the poster board. The posters look really nice!! And the two groups did one more rehearsal with more teachers presenting and asking questions. They did really well and got a few inspiring ideas from the teachers’ questions. Meanwhile Alice also brought her microscope and pre-made slides for the other students to see things under a microscope. WEEK 19: Mar 14, 2019 The 60th Synopsys Science and Technology Championship Today is the day! The two groups did exceptionally well! They answered judge’s questions with a lot of confidence. ​ Great job Ava, Ashukem, Francisco, Jorge!! WEEK 20: Mar 20, 2019 Opportunity X Science Fair Projects We first discussed what happened at Synopsys and the kids are very excited to attend Opportunity X Science Fair in May. Alice introduced the other two groups’ projects to the entire club. The club discussed how prisms reflect light and make rainbow; and what can be tested for water quality. The prism group has completed their science experiments, Ken is doing a great job organizing his team and the projects. We also discussed what experiments to do in the next few club meetings. WEEK 21: Mar 27, 2019 Growing Crystals! We used Borax, pipe cleaners, hot water, glass jars to make crystals. First Alice explained the procedure and theory behind crystal growing. Then, we used pipe cleaners to make nicely shaped decorations. Then we heated one cup of water in microwave for two minutes and pour into the glass jar that is filled with 4 tablespoons of Borax. Last, we put the pipe cleaner into the jar, make sure it doesn’t touch any part of the jar. Crystals will grow overnight! WEEK 22: April 7, 2019 Synopsys Science and Technology Championship Award Ceremony Both our projects won awards at this most prestigious science fair in the country for their creativity, complexity and impact to the world. Congratulations to Ava, Ashukem, Francisco, Jorge!! We also want to thank Alice and Ms. Bell for their dedication which makes the success possible. WEEK 23: April 17, 2019 Fruit and Vegetable Battery & Water Quality Project We used fruit and vegetable to make battery today. Alice introduced the theory behind voltage, current, resistance, battery, circuit, series connection or parallel connection. The students learned to draw their own circuit. Then they formed two groups. They were given the same supplies and compete to see which group generated the most voltage or current. ​ Afterwards, we worked on the Water Quality project. The girls have collected quite many bottles of water from different lakes or river, and they tested various attributes of the water. WEEK 24: May 1, 2019 SLIME!!! Slime! Today’s club activity is super fun. We are going to make SLIME! But before we begin, we have to know the theory behind slime making. Alice showed the students the physical property of glue and how Borox acid transform glue into sticky yet flexible slime. Then the students started making slime out of glue and Borox powder. Even though they followed the recipe precisely, some of the slime were not looking or feeling good, either too sticky, or too stiff, or too watery. Hence the students used their own judgement to add other ingredients or tried different temperature water to make it work. The students were really doing serious experiments to make the best slime. In addition, they added glitter, form balls, shaving cream to create all sorts of funky slime. They were all very happy with their end products. WEEK 25: May 8, 2019 Opportunity X Science Fair Projects From this week, we will work on writing powerpoint slides for the two Opportunity X fair projects - Prism and Water Quality. Ben is so motivated and has worked so hard after school that he has already finished his powerpoint slides, and now he is refining his presentation. Shayla and Marbella have successfully collected all the water quality data from quite many bottles of water they collected across many lakes and rivers; their persistence is so impressive and their projects are pregressing fast too. WEEK 26: May 15, 2019 Opportunity X Science Fair Projects Poster and Rehearsal There are only one and half week left before our inaugural Opportunity X Science Fair. The students have learned a lot throughout the year on how to find science project topics, how to turn a science idea demonstration into a science fair project, how to collect data, how to write science fair slides, how to talk with judges, and how to speak confidently in public. This week, we continued on finishing the powerpoint slides. ​ WEEK 27: May 22, 2019 Opportunity X Science Fair Projects Rehearsal Ben, Shayla and Marbella completed their beautiful poster board today. All four groups rehearsed a couple of times. We are so ready for the upcoming Opportunity X Science Fair this Saturday!!!! ​ WEEK 28: May 25, 2019, 2-4pm, Opportunity X Science Fair at Alum Rock Branch Library, 3090 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA 95127 Four San Jose schools are attending today's Opportunity X Science Fair. We have a total of more then 100 attendees, including students, parents, teachers, judges, key-note speakers, volunteers, reporters. We are so proud of the accomplishments River Glen students have made this year. ​

Boushall Middle School March 2021 - May 2021 Opportunity X representatives: Grace Lee Sponsoring Principal: Kiara Thompson ​ ​ 3/23 Our First Meeting We first introduced each other and played ice breakers. The material kits were not yet delivered, so we spent some time getting to know each other better and trying to learn about Opportunity X. We played “This or That,” and we discussed some of our favorite branches of science. The students were interested in the types of experiments, so we discussed which experiment we should do next week. ​ ​ 3/30 1st week Students made elephant toothpaste with soap, hydrogen peroxide, water, and dry yeast. The experiment was a blast, and everyone loved it. ​ 4/6 2nd week Students conducted the Dancing Ghost experiment. Although they had a difficult time trying to make the ghost look like an actual ghost, the experiment itself went well. ​ ​ 4/13 3rd week Students were excited to do the plastic milk experiment. They made milk into plastic using a microwave. They did an amazing job, and the experiment was successful. ​ ​ 4/20 4th week Students designed our DNA using pipe cleaners and learned important concepts of DNA. We learned the 4 bases and the structure of DNA, also the fact that we all contained genetic material. ​ ​ 4/27 5th week Students made iron for breakfast. They used cereal, magnet, and ziplock bags to extract the iron out of the cereals. ​ ​ 5/4 6th week Students made lemon volcanoes out of vinegar and lemon (or some sort of acid). This was one of the experiments that students enjoyed the most, and they loved observing the explosion. ​ ​ 5/11 7th week Students were introduced to the science exploration challenge and the science fair competition information, and they were able to get help to actually create experiments and researches on their own. ​ ​ 5/18 8th week Students conducted the soap-powered boat experiment by using soap, cardboard, and water. They were able to observe the boat as it propelled forward. ​ ​ 5/25 9th week This was our final meeting, and we wrapped our year with additional science fair information. Students reflected on our progress and how much we were able to accomplish the past year. Week 5 - Paper Chromatography Today we learned about capillary action, the mobile phase, the stationary phase, and solvents using paper chromatography. Students learned about natural examples of capillary action, what parts of the experiment were the mobile and stationary phase, and what the solvent was. They used a black marker and observed the many colors that came out once the solvent reached the ink.

Brookland Middle School March 2021 - May 2021 Opportunity X representatives: Grace Lee, Alice Feng, Nathaniel Johnson Sponsoring Principal: Todd Hickey ​ ​ 3/18 Our First Meeting We first introduced each other and played ice breakers. The material kits were not yet delivered, so we spent some time getting to know each other better and trying to learn about Opportunity X. We played “This or That,” and we discussed some of our favorite branches of science. The students were interested in the types of experiments, so we discussed which experiment we should do next week. ​ ​ 3/25 1st week Students made elephant toothpaste with soap, hydrogen peroxide, water, and dry yeast. The experiment was a blast, and everyone loved it. ​ 4/1 2nd week Students conducted the Dancing Ghost experiment. Although they had a difficult time trying to make the ghost look like an actual ghost, the experiment itself went well. ​ ​ 4/15 3rd week Students were excited to do the plastic milk experiment. They made milk into plastic using a microwave. They did an amazing job, and the experiment was successful. ​ ​ 4/22 4th week Students designed our DNA using pipe cleaners and learned important concepts of DNA. We learned the 4 bases and the structure of DNA, also the fact that we all contained genetic material. ​ ​ 4/29 5th week Students made iron for breakfast. They used cereal, magnet, and ziplock bags to extract the iron out of the cereals. ​ ​ 5/6 6th week Students made lemon volcanoes out of vinegar and lemon (or some sort of acid). This was one of the experiments that students enjoyed the most, and they loved observing the explosion. ​ ​ 5/13 7th week Students were introduced to the science exploration challenge and the science fair competition information, and they were able to get help to actually create experiments and researches on their own. ​ ​ 5/20 8th week Students conducted the soap-powered boat experiment by using soap, cardboard, and water. They were able to observe the boat as it propelled forward. ​ ​ 5/27 9th week This was our final meeting, and we wrapped our year with additional science fair information. Students reflected on our progress and how much we were able to accomplish the past year.

Volunteer for Opportunity X Currently taking volunteer applications for the 2022-2023 school year! If you are interested in volunteering for Opportunity X, please fill out this application form. Before applying, please be sure to read through the position description . ​ If you are from outside of California, please consider applying for a State Branch Director, the application is here . For the position description, click here. ​ Application for other leadership positions has been closed for the 2022-2023 school year. ​ Volunteer Requirements: Be in high school Have prior experience with science research and/or science fairs Be passionate about giving back to their community ​ Why volunteer for Opportunity X? All the time you spend volunteering for Opportunity X can count towards your logged volunteer hours and the annual Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Through volunteering for Opportunity X, you will not only be able to make an impact on your local community through teaching and mentoring younger students, but also strengthen several valuable life skills including communication, leadership, and collaboration. You will become eligible to apply to be on the core leadership team for the following school year. ​ We would love to have you as a volunteer and can't wait to have you as a part of our organization!

Testimonials See what students, parents, and teachers say about us! "Through opportunity X students often saw themselves as scientists and were able to research something that they're interested in and practice presenting information using evidence based reasoning. Opportunity X science club really pulls out students prior knowledge and what they're currently learning to reinforce those science content standards.​ It helps them to identify as somebody who can do science as a career." ~ Ms. Kendall Bell, Science Teacher @ River Glen "I really enjoyed the teachers they were all really nice and really kind they were really open to questions and I liked how they went step-by-step. I also enjoyed all the fun projects we got to do and learn a thing or two every single day." ~ Alina, Engineering Bootcamp ​ " It was a pleasure to know from you, kids were so appreciative and amazed with your zoom classes. I had no opportunity to meet you but you are the people who seeds motivation in kids, and later in a close future, the life of many kids will be impacted for generations." ~ Abi and Meg (Ed and Amy's parents) ​ "I would like to thank you and rest of the Opportunity X team for coordinating these sessions. Everything was thoroughly organized. My son loved these sessions and we appreciate the hard work you guys put into all the details." ~ Sukhdeep (a parent) ​ "Thank your so much for having me it was fun enjoyable,and educational!" ~ Samantha ​ "Opportunity X taught me that we can do simple science projects from the comfort of our own home. We can also learn a lot from just those projects. Opportunity X teaches me a lot." ~ Santiago Lopez, Ave Crux Program ​ "Opportunity X, especially during the pandemic, gives us a chance to learn more things than we’re taught in science class at school. And they make it fun. The teachers know what they’re doing, and they help us with whatever we need help with." ~ Catalina Lopez, Ave Crux Program ​ "Yay!!! The kids are excited!! Had to tell you! My child did a “YES” with his arm and everything!!" ~ Email from an Ave Crux Parent about the program continuing for a second semester ​ "Opportunity X has helped me learning more about how plants work and how their growth can be affected." ~ Jorge Guhe, Student @ River Glen ​ ​ "Opportunity X made me open my eyes and realize science isn't just about nature and it’s about stuff around you." ~ Ben Lee, Student @River Glen "My favorite part is going up on stage during the Synopsys award ceremony and the judges pronouncing my name and then everybody clap for me because of the hard work my partner and I did. Opportunity X helped me develop more strategies on how to solve the problems in science." ~ Ashukem Adrienne Taku, Student @ River Glen ​ "Working with both Cynthia and Adishree was an amazing experience. With their guidance, my science fair project (Engineering a Better Way to Learn) was accepted and presented at the Synopsys science fair in March 2018. Opportunity X's philosophy inspired me to both continue exploring science and technology and share that with others." ~ Nathaniel Johnson, Student @ KIPP Heartwood ​ "We are so happy that our son was able to participate in the Opportunity X after school program last year. He really enjoyed doing the science experiments and working with the instructors. This program encouraged him to create his own science project and he participated in last year's county science fair. Opportunity X gave him the information and opportunity to explore more science experiments and meet other like-minded people. We would strongly recommend Opportunity X to any student interested in or curious about science." ~ KIPP Heartwood Parent ​ “I really liked the Opportunity X program. The best part was building the solar cooker - I learned that we could actually cook water with the sun!” ~ KIPP Heartwood Student ​ “My experience working with Opportunity X was really positive! There were a lot of opportunities for students to engage with different types of science that aren’t necessarily in our normal curriculum. Being able to see the students doing different types of labs and using different types of lab materials was really cool. I think the students learned a lot about the scientific method. I think the biggest thing that students learned was how to make a hypothesis and how to do a procedure, do a lab, collect the results and see the process from A to Z.” ~ Ms. Jasmine Pournavab, Science Teacher @ KIPP Heartwood ​ “We’re very grateful that Opportunity X was introduced here at KIPP Heartwood. I think that Opportunity X is providing content and exposure to material that a lot of kids would not be exposed to otherwise. Having the demographics that we serve, I think that the kids are going to get the most out of a program like this.” ~ Mr. Hector de Santiago Operations, Manager @ KIPP Heartwood ​​ Broadcom MASTERS Information Session​: (Testimonials by students and parents who attended the session) ​ "I really got to know more about Broadcom and Finals week and tips for applying. I'm really excited to apply and I'm very interested in the competition." ~ Student ​ ​ "I thought that the information that Opportunity X supplied us enabled us to have more insight on how to go about filling out the application, going through the entire process, and the experiences people get out of the program. I liked that they they were able to relate each step of the competition to their personal experiences and based on that, they were able to explain everything very well so we all could appreciate this competition. I learned a plentiful amount about the Broadcom Masters, and specifically, I obtained more information regarding the application itself." ~ Anushka Sanyal, Student ​ ​ "It was good, since it provided a thorough summary of the application and the competition. I learned a lot about the application and the competition itself." ~ Akshay Manglik, Student ​ ​ "Nicely structured. Glad that we attended - got a lot of information about the awards and how to apply for it." ~ Sunil Dixit, Parent ​"I liked how you related back and forth between your tips for Broadcom, and your experience at it." ~ Student

India Science Workshop August 2nd - August 6th 2021 In 2021, Opportunity X partnered with Dr. SRK School in Andhra Pradesh, India - creating the first ever international school program! Around 25 students were taught over the course of 5 days during this week-long workshop. During a time when the pandemic was deeply affecting India, Opportunity X was glad to step in and provide free education to these students. Students were awarded physical trophies and certificates for their efforts. Day 1 - Fingerprint Analysis Students analyzed patterns in their fingerprints and compared it with their peers. They also learned about how to collect data and the difference between quantitative and qualitative data. Day 2 - Membranophone Students learned about wavelength, amplitude, and frequency by making their own musical instrument out of a glove, straw, water bottle, and rubber bands. Day 3 - Marble Run Students built personalized contraptions for marbles to run down using cardboard and popsicle sticks. They learned what engineering is and how physics relates to this specific engineering challenge. Day 4 - Hoop Gliders Students learned about the principles of flight, specifically how air resistance, gravity, lift, and thrust work together to make things fly. They were able to put this in action by building their own hoop gliders out of paper and straw. Students observed how their gliders flew and then made modifications to experiment with the flight path. Some students added extra hoops to increase lift while others added extra straws to improve on the structure. Day 5 - Catapult This week, students were introduced to the concept of engineering: a process that involves planning, designing, and building a solution to a problem. Given a limited amount of materials, students were expected to build a device that could launch an aluminum foil ball at a target. Students made their own personalized catapults and slingshots with their creativity.

Science Exploration Challenge Winning Projects First Place: "COVID-19 Loss Of Smell" by Suhas Krishnamurthy from Morrill Middle School, San Jose, California Second Place: "Investigation of the gravitational field strength at different heights" by Isaac Cheok, Ooi Jing Shun, Ong Xuan Kai from School of Science and Technology, Singapore Second Place: "What Causes The Seasons" by April Mestas from Ave Crux, Mountain View, California Third Place: "Black Holes" by William Hobbs from Hercules Middle School, Hercules, California Third Place: "Investigation of the caffeine curve for different grind size of coffee beans" by Angel Phan Li Hui, Dayanita Saminathan, Galistan Anastasia Nathasha Phatthra from School of Science and Technology, Singapore Third Place: "Investigation of the freezing time on the texture of cooked porridge" by Adam Hirzan Bin Abdul Samad, Awba Hein, Soo Jia Guo Caleb from School of Science and Technology, Singapore Special Award - Most Creative: "Innvestigation of the effect of different cooking oils on the strength of a homemade biodegradable plastic" by Farah Mei Lynn Karl Daruwalla, Rachel Ho, Jin Qin Yue from School of Science and Technology, Singapore Special Award - Best Scientific Thoughts: "Measurement of the speed of sound" by Ang Jayden, Yong Hao Rong, Jarel Foo from School of Science and Technology, Singapore Special Award - Best Presentation: "How music affects the growth of plants" by Avaneesh Balaji from Michael Collins Elementary, Schaumburg, Illinois Honorable Mention ​ Trez Winn Brookland Middle School, Henrico VA Mosi Muyundo Brookland Middle School, Henrico VA Eesha Jain Odle Middle School, Bellevue, Washington Catalina and Santiago Lopez Buchser Middle School, Santa Clara, California Eng Ze Rui, Ahmad Rizky Alkiano, Jax Sutrisno School of Science and Technology, Singapore Alyssa Tan Huey Yi, Ridha Fathima Nowshad, Nicole Sim Rui Shi School of Science and Technology, Singapore Aiden Ong Xuan Rui, Tan Yi Heng Ethan, Lim Xi Ian School of Science and Technology, Singapore Liu Yanzhao, Chia Wei Yang Wayne, Ng Swee Eng Rachel School of Science and Technology, Singapore Sarah Foo Zhi Ning, Vijaya Bhargavi School of Science and Technology, Singapore ​ ​