Since its founding as a US Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Center, the Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA) has pioneered training initiatives to enhance critical skills nationwide, helping usher in an exciting era for quantum research and technology. As the demand for a skilled QIS workforce continues to grow, there is an opportunity to prepare a competent technical workforce ready to unlock the potential of quantum technologies for national leadership. The Quantum Computing, Mathematics, and Physics summer camp (QCaMP) has been QSA’s innovative yearly training program since 2022 for high school students and teachers nationwide, receiving accolades for encouraging students to pursue careers in the quantum sciences in the critical high school years. Co-founded by Sandia National Labs (Sandia Labs) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), QCaMP continues to expand to reach more students nationwide.
Impacting Classrooms
QCaMP’s continued success is driven by the collaboration of industry leaders, national labs, and academic institutions to strengthen the needs of the future quantum workforce. All QCaMP lessons are taught by researchers active in the field nationwide so that participants gain real-world, practical methods for introducing quantum mechanics in their classrooms. The teachers co-develop lesson plans and ready-to-use activities with the quantum experts that seamlessly integrate into existing curricula while informing them how quantum technologies continue to shape the future of science.
In 2024 the QCaMP for educator camp was expanded through a hub and spoke model, leading to participants joining from across the US, including California, New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. The 2024 camp was hosted over 3 days and supported 84 participants, all of whom had little experience with quantum technologies but were excited to find ways to learn more and take it back to their classrooms.
“QCaMP was the spark that has led to wanting to learn more about quantum concepts and talk to students about how fascinating this area is. The summer program exposed me to some basic lessons that demystified quantum principles and made them accessible to students (and teachers) new to the ideas,” said Pamela Borealis, a Colorado-based math teacher at Centaurus High School and a 2024 QCaMP participant.
“Of the many STEM trainings I have had the privilege of being in, QCaMP 2024 was one of the most intense and exciting because of the new quantum computing world and its relative infancy,” described Tom J. Bonzon, high school science teacher at the Albuquerque Aviation Academy in New Mexico.
Expanding the Opportunities
Teachers who have participated in QCaMP have highlighted the importance of expert involvement, real-world experimentation, and the impact of professional development opportunities in bringing quantum concepts to the classroom. The collective effort provides educators with valuable resources to inspire students to explore quantum science.
“As teachers, we can only teach what we understand, even to a small degree, and we are only effective in our training(s) and materials. If we can bring in experts from an industry, that’s huge and can be so inspiring. I have promoted QCamp and activities to my high school students and teaching colleagues,” expressed Bonzon.
“As with all teacher professional development opportunities, so much information and so many ideas are squeezed into a short amount of time. Overall, the biggest things I have gained are the excitement and enthusiasm to encourage my students to explore the cutting-edge field of quantum,” said Borealis.
Applications for the 2025 QCaMP are now open! With the support of partners and sponsors, including fellow DOE National QIS Research Center Q-NEXT, new camps are launching in Arizona, Montana, and New York, alongside returning locations in California, New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.
To learn more and submit your information, visit the QCaMP official page.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research.
Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 16 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.
The Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA) is one of the five National Quantum Information Science Research Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. Led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and with Sandia National Laboratories as lead partner, QSA catalyzes national leadership in quantum information science to co-design the algorithms, quantum devices, and engineering solutions needed to deliver certified quantum advantage in scientific applications. QSA brings together dozens of scientists who are pioneers of many of today’s unique quantum engineering and fabrication capabilities. In addition to industry and academic partners across the world, 15 institutions are part of QSA: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, University of Colorado at Boulder, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Caltech, Duke University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, UC Berkeley, University of Maryland, University of New Mexico, University of Southern California, UT Austin, and Canada’s Université de Sherbrooke. For more information, please visit https://quantumsystemsaccelerator.org/
