The institution's academic year begins on July 1, but appointments commence at different times, depending on the policies of each department. At the Observatories, Geophysical Laboratory, and the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, appointments begin usually on or around September 1. At the Departments of Embryology and Plant Biology, a fellow or associate can take up residence at any time throughout the year. As part of its commitment to education in the sciences, Carnegie Institution in 1989 launched a Saturday school science program, called First Light, for Washington, DC elementary school students. CASE began in 1994, with substantial funding support from the National Science Foundation.
CASE offers six-week summer institutes for Washington, DC public elementary school teachers.
The effort is focused on the innovative methods used in First Light. There are follow-on activities during the school year. Carnegie Institution also sponsors a monthly lecture series, called Capital Science Lectures, featuring leading science investigators and policy-makers who talk on current matters of science for the benefit of nonspecialists. Studying at the Department of Embryology. A handful are still in print and in demand.