Seeds of Change

Seeds of Change (also operating as SOC Research) is a Minnesota 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Wayzata that runs immersive STEM research programs for high school students, most notably a 10-day Tropical Field Research program in northern Costa Rica. The organization partners with classroom teachers, university scientists, and conservation groups to give students hands-on experience in field biology, microbiology, and bioinformatics.

Programs include tropical field work (field collection, lab experiments, and data analysis), a comparative genetics/bioinformatics track, and coastal conservation experiences such as sea-turtle work; students may earn college credit for their research. The organization operates a dedicated research site in Costa Rica (the Boisclair Research Campus) and sends student groups from dozens of U.S. schools to participate each year.

In the last 2–3 years Seeds of Change sustained regular summer research programs and partnerships with U.S. high schools (including summer 2024 and summer 2025 program offerings), completed Phase I construction of its Costa Rica research campus (classroom, lab and student cabins), and continued to expand its bioinformatics and tropical-research curriculum with university-affiliated scientists and teacher-training resources.