POP Timeline

POP Milestones Timeline

2009 Spring First afterschool programs begin at ARE
2011 Fall   Special program for flood-displaced children at the Event Center
2011 Fall   POP begins a second afterschool program at VHE; 120 kids!
2013 Fall 

POP is suspended by Physics Chair for no stated reason

2014 Fall 

POP is back in business!

2015 Spring POP starts afterschool program at JCE, to run twice a year for K-2 kids
2016 Spring

POP serves 4 schools, including the newly reopened MacArthur Elementary School

2017 Spring  African Road School splits program to allow doubling the enrollment: 100
2020 Spring POP receives $5000 grant from SPIE, the Society of Optics and Photonics
2020 Spring POP enrolls record 6 interns … and then the pandemic hits
2021 Fall

POP Legacy: First (2) POP volunteers that had POP programs in school!

2022 Fall  Post-pandemic recovery: 19 after-school programs to 4 schools!
2023 Spring New record: 31 events, 27 school trips, 9 topics
2024 Fall First POP volunteer/parent with a kid in a POP program
2024 Spring New topic record: 10 topics, at 20 school trips
2025 Spring

POP enrolls 6 interns, rolls out 3 new programs: AA, BB, and GM

2025 Fall

New record! Most volunteers at an after-school program: 22