Through its Optics Suitcase program, The Optical Society (OSA) Foundation in Washington is working to inspire a love of science and innovation among students. The program includes hands-on experiences focused on optics concepts. The foundation demonstrated the program for middle-school students as part of OSA’s annual Winter Leadership event. The presentation package is designed to introduce students to the dynamic range of concepts within the study of light. Each case includes a teaching guide and materials for interactive demonstrations and experiments covering topics such as polarization, diffraction and selective reflection. The individual experiments are designed for students to take home as a reinforcement of the classroom lessons. Pictured above is a middle-school student who participated in the program at the Center City Public Charter Schools’ Shaw Campus in Washington. “Outreach to young students is one of the most significant ways we as optics and photonics professionals can impact and inspire future scientists,” said Michael Morris, chairman of the OSA Foundation. “I encourage my fellow optics colleagues to bring the science of light alive for students in their local areas through this type of outreach.”