RAICES Program

The RAICES (Resilient Achievers In Community for Empowerment in STEM) program is a new EOP initiative designed to retain and support up to 30 students consisting of second-year and first-year transfer EOP students who are proposed or preparing to declare in a Physical & Biological Sciences or Baskin Engineering major. RAICES is a year-long commitment designed to provide students strong roots in a STEM degree and prepare students for a STEM career.

RAICES, translated into “roots”, fosters a supportive community for STEM students, builds confidence, and explores career paths through peer mentorship, counseling, career exploration, and major declaration support.

Eligibility

• Be an EOP student (How to check your EOP status)
• Second-year student OR first-year transfer student
• Proposed or preparing to declare a major in:
  • Physical & Biological Sciences or Baskin Engineering major
• Have successfully completed at least one introductory STEM course such as:
  • MATH 2, MATH 3, MATH 11A, MATH 16A, or MATH 19A
  • CHEM 3A
  • CSE 20
  • Students are still eligible if they have one introductory STEM class with a grade of C- or lower.

Info Sessions

Have questions about the RAICES program? Join one of our upcoming virtual info sessions!

Register by clicking the link for a date below.

• August 15th, 2025 @ 2pm
• August 18th, 2025 @ 10am
• August 21st, 2025 @ 2pm

Application

Interested in joining RAICES? Please submit your application here:
RAICES Program Application by September 7th, 2025, 11:59pm.

Program Benefits

• Be paired with a EOP STEM Counselor and STEM Peer Advisor who can guide you through navigating UCSC as a STEM student.
• Quarterly workshops and events to build on your network, confidence, and career readiness.
• Attend an annual off-campus field trip to connect with working STEM professionals.
• Have your SACNAS membership fee ($25) covered

Our History

The EOP STEM program which as of Summer 2025 now includes RAICES, was made possible through the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiative called SEMILLA (Science Education & Mentorship in Latino Lives in Academia). SEMILLA was a comprehensive initiative dedicated to fostering equity and overcoming institutional barriers for Latino and low-income students pursuing STEM majors.

Starting in 2022 - 2023 EOP STEM is no longer funded through HSI and is now permanently funded through EOP. The RAICES program pays homage to our roots with SEMILLA and is being funded by SFAC (Student Fee Advisory Committee) & EOP STEM, our story starts with you!