High school students gain an introduction to science research by participating in teams as part of an advanced science program involving Oak Crest and local high schools. An experimental program was initiated in 2002 in collaboration with Westridge High School that involves student teams conducting part-time research at Oak Crest for a full school year. This program provides a wealth of benefits not normally available to students outside of a research university. They discover early on how exciting front-line research can be, and learn how to overcome the inevitable frustrations. This insight into a researcher's professional life is invaluable in helping students to solidify their desire to pursue research careers. In addition, they learn to orally communicate their results and evaluate the broader significance of their work by participating in regular group meetings.

Following the success of this initial program, Oak Crest and Pasadena City College, together with local high schools, are collaborating to establish a formal initiative aimed at fostering the participation of high school students, especially underrepresented groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability, socio-economic, and geographic) in science. It is hoped that early exposure to science research eventually will help broaden the student diversity at the university level and beyond.