Making Music, Connecting Communities

The Jam is a grassroots (“glass-roots”) gathering of optics professionals who have a passion for music. It began organically in 2012 as a shared celebration of music, when optics professionals with a passion for playing music started making plans to “jam” together at various industry conferences they attend throughout each year. Through word of mouth, industry peers, colleagues, friends, and clients were invited to enjoy an evening of music and fun, creating a vibrant community event for networking and celebration.

Twelve years on, the organizers of the Jam wanted to transform this grassroots community into an engine for supporting optics education and further developing the Optics, Photonics, Imaging, and Laser (OPIL) workforce. These Jam events serve as fundraisers, with money raised via corporate sponsorships to help produce the events and generate funds for education and workforce initiatives across the US.

Optics for the Greater Good is proud to provide the non-profit home for these recurring jams throughout the year, aligning our mission to expand OPIL awareness through education, with the universal joy that music and community bring.

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