A collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Elevate Quantum Workforce Collaborative (EQWC), the Quantum, Computing, Math, and Physics Camp (QCaMP) for Educators has recently experienced a dramatic expansion, reaching its largest scale to date. The goal of this program is to improve the talent pipeline for quantum information science (QIS) in the United States.
Sandia National Labs, Elevate Quantum, and The Quantum Systems Accelerator Collaborate to Increase QCaMP
A collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Elevate Quantum Workforce Collaborative (EQWC), the Quantum, Computing, Math, and Physics Camp (QCaMP) for Educators has recently experienced a dramatic expansion, reaching its largest scale to date. The goal of this program is to improve the talent pipeline for quantum information science (QIS) in the United States.
This year’s program was the largest on record for QCaMP, effectively engaging 132 instructors in 14 cohort locations throughout eight states. By 2025, the program is anticipated to have a substantial positive impact on the U.S. talent pipeline in this vital subject, reaching over 3,300 students countrywide.
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A Catalyst for Quantum Education Nationwide
QCaMP is essentially a national program designed to involve communities in the United States who are interested in increasing student involvement in the QIS area. With distinct activities for high school teachers and students, the program is designed as an in-person camp targeted at the high school level. It transforms computing by utilizing the peculiarities of quantum physics.
The “appetite and need for quantum education programs nationwide,” especially in the Mountain West region, is reflected in the program’s quick growth. QCaMP is “more than a training camp; it is a catalyst for breaking down barriers to quantum computing and building a domestic quantum workforce that will help take us into the quantum future,” according to Jake Douglass, Elevate Quantum Quantum Workforce and Ecosystem Officer and Quantum Business Development Lead at Sandia National Labs.
The launch of QCaMP cohorts is a significant accomplishment in QIS Ecosystem Stewardship by the Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA), which leads initiatives to increase QIS participation and meet expanding workforce demands.
The fundamental driving force behind QCaMP is the expanding demand for a highly-skilled and diverse workforce in QIS, where the number of open positions rises annually. The program’s main objectives are to introduce students to this fascinating new topic, increase student participation in QIS by teaching concepts at an earlier educational stage, and reach more students by equipping teachers with necessary resources.
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QCaMP Program Details and Accessibility
Quantum, Computing, Mathematics, and Physics, or QCaMP, offers learners a basic introduction to computing, practical experience with quantum physics, and chances to use those phenomena to address computer issues in novel ways.
Importantly, both teacher and student participants can receive stipends, and the QCaMP program is free. Teachers who travel fifty miles or more to attend in person may also be eligible for additional travel funding. No complex maths or physics is needed for the easily accessible and interesting modules and workshops, thus the only qualifications for joining the camp are a basic understanding of algebra and a desire to learn more.
In addition to having access to educational materials, participants get invaluable experience building circuits on a real-world quantum computing. The curriculum consists of seven or more modules that comprise worksheets, activities, audio, and slides.
Benefits for Educators
Teacher participants study the foundations of quantum information science through practical teaching and group projects, giving them the skills and tools they need to motivate the next generation of quantum learners.
After attending Teacher Camp, teachers will have:
- Innovative, entertaining approaches to teaching and investigating quantum mechanics in their courses, whether at the beginning and advanced levels.
- Materials for lesson ideas and additional “ready-to-go activities” that they can use with their current curriculum.
- Topics for discussion on the potential social transformation of quantum mechanics.
The modules can be connected to the current Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K–12 framework and are specifically made to be used in educational environments. Important components such as resource sharing, feedback, and pedagogical conversations are also included in the teacher program. The dates of the 2025 Teacher Summer Camp were June 16–20.
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Advantages for Learners
Career presentations and lengthy Q&A sessions are part of the student curriculum. Students that attend QCaMP gain practical experimental experience with quantum circuits, a sampling of career routes, resources, and employment opportunities for further exploration, and the capacity to think creatively about solving computer challenges.
In addition to K–12 experts at Berkeley Labs, instructors for previous camps have featured working researchers from top organizations like Sandia National Laboratories, Berkeley Labs, Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of New Mexico, and New Mexico State University. Other speakers have been from the National Security Administration, IBM, Amazon, the Department of Defense, and the Quantum Systems Accelerator.
Focus on the Mountain West
From five sites in 2024 to 14 sites this year, the 2025 expansion showed significant growth. The partnership with EQWC facilitated a dramatic expansion in both Colorado and New Mexico, together reaching 88 educators and underscoring the high level of interest and engagement across the region.
Together, the Colorado and New Mexico expansions reached 88 educators, demonstrating the high level of interest and involvement throughout the area, with the cooperation with EQWC.
Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, and New York hosted the cohorts in 2025. As teachers return to their classrooms with the resources, the QCaMP team estimates that implementation across the cohorts will reach an estimated 2,200 kids in the Mountain West alone.
Colorado Bill HB23-1198, which created STEM teacher externship programs to provide K–12 teachers with work-based learning opportunities, directly supported the expansion in Colorado. According to Colorado Department of Labour and Employment Executive Director Joe Barela, this expansion “reflects the growth we’re seeing in the quantum industry here in Colorado.” He emphasized that these externships are designed to be a catalyst for building a diverse and inclusive workforce in high-growth, high-demand STEM fields, especially quantum.
He underlined that these externships are intended to serve as a catalyst for the development of an inclusive and diverse workforce in STEM sectors that are seeing rapid growth and high demand, particularly in the area of quantum.
Boulder Valley School District/CU Boulder, Colorado Aerolab, CU Denver/Colorado Community College System, Colorado Mesa University, Emily Griffith Technical College/Denver Public Schools, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia Labs/UNM were among the organizations that partnered with the 2025 QCaMP effort in the Mountain West.
With the ultimate long-term objective of inspiring thousands of students and guaranteeing U.S. leadership in the global quantum economy, the QCaMP team plans to build on this year’s success by continuing to provide access to QIS training options for educators.
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