SMERT is the acronym that Palos Verdes Peninsula High School (PVPHS) adopted in 2000 for our school’s interdisciplinary program in science, math, engineering, research, and technology. While STEM is a widely recognized acronym in today’s world, we have chosen to retain our program’s distinctive name out of recognition for its unique origins and national recognition.

          Our dedicated SMERT facility on campus was funded by a $2 million community bond measure and officially opened in 2015. Our PTSA conducted a fundraiser during the facility’s construction to fund the purchase of much of the equipment that our students use. Our school district funds the program’s interdisciplinary team which consists of six math teachers, four science teachers, one counselor, and one department chair. Additionally, through the generous support of the Peninsula Education Foundation (PEF), we receive approximately $40,000 each year to fund competitions and purchase additional equipment.

The SMERT program seeks to kindle an interest in its underlying subjects for all students, including those who have never thought that such subjects were for them, with an ultimate goal of enhancing their college and career readiness through hands-on learning and real-world applications available through conference attendance, industry internships, mentoring of younger students, and competitions at local, state, and national levels.

The SMERT program is truly a collaborative effort between our staff, residents of the community, industry partners, and particularly parents. Current parent volunteers include Air Force reservists, electrical engineers, computer engineers, aerospace engineers, physicians, and nurses.

     For more information about the Peninsula High SMERT Program, please read our SMERT Publication.

Aerospace Engineering

AP Computer  Science A

AP Principles of Computer Science

AP Physics C

AP Physics 1

AP Physics 2

Civil Engineering

Computer Science Advanced Projects

Digital Electronics

Engineering Design & Development

Intro to Engineering & Design*

Principles of Engineering*

Science Research

Cyber Patriot

First Robotics

Math Team

Physics Bowl

Physics Olympiad

Science Bowl

Science Ocean

Science Olympiad

Solar Boat

StellarXplor

TSA

VEX

More information about our SMERT teams can be found here on our website.