About Us

Executive Director: Danielle Beaty Adler, Ed.D.

As Executive Director of San Diego Youth Science, Danielle Beaty Adler is a passionate advocate for advancing and expanding science education for persons of all ages, with particular interest in youth science education.  Her goal is that youth foster a “love of science.”  Danielle’s formal academic background is founded in basic science with a bachelor’s degree in marine science from San Diego State University.  Her career path ultimately returned her to academics where she graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in science education. Always a lifelong learner, she recently completed her Doctorate in Science Education Leadership from San Diego State in 2022. 

Danielle’s early career involved work with the U.S. federal government’s National Marine Fisheries Service at NOAA utilizing genetic analysis to track the worldwide migratory patterns of sea turtles and dolphins, as well as study the populations of gray whales traversing the west coast of North America utilizing thermal sensor tracking.  With a move to New York, Danielle gained marine regulatory and resource management experience with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.  Her responsibilities included field enforcement of the safe management of the clam fishery in Long Island Sound.  Upon returning to San Diego, Danielle built upon her experiences as a marine science educator at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps where she functioned as the School Programs Coordinator.  She developed and oversaw the design and implementation of the Aquarium’s science programs for K-12 schools in San Diego.  These programs were specifically focused on meeting California State Content Standards for science through incorporation of cutting edge research actively conducted at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Danielle has consulted as a science education evaluator for Birch Aquarium at Scripps and San Diego State University’s Teacher Education Department. Danielle evaluated and assessed education programs to document their educational impact for grant program funders.  At San Diego State University, she supervised and mentored student teachers earning their single subject science credential.

Founding San Diego Youth Science (SDYS) in 2015, Danielle serves as Executive Director consulting to enhance the science at elementary schools within the Mission Bay Cluster and beyond. Having worked in both science research and resource management, Danielle is passionate about designing science programming that incorporates local research and current phenomena to engage students and their classroom teachers in the authentic process of science. Through multi year collaborations with partner schools, Danielle truly values her opportunity to do science with these students and teachers.

San Diego Youth Science is determined to empower San Diego’s students and teachers to examine and question the natural world around them. San Diego Youth Science works with students of all ages to understand the process of science, view the world with scientific curiosity, and have a lifelong love of science through participation in authentic and relevant science experiences.