The student workshop at GECCO 2016 aims to encourage graduate and undergraduate students to submit and present their research on genetic and evolutionary computation at GECCO (Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference) 2016 in Denver, Colorado, USA. This full day workshop assists students with their work and facilitates their inclusion in the research community. At the workshop, students receive valuable feedback on the quality of their work and their presentation style. This is assured by constructive discussions after each talk led by a mentor panel of established researchers. Students are encouraged to use this opportunity for guidance on future research directions. In addition, we provide opportunities to: * present the work to the whole conference audience at the poster session, * receive a best paper award, and, * continue the discussion at a get together after the workshop. We hope that the variety of covered topics (all topics at GECCO) will catch the attention of a wide range of GECCO attendees, who will learn about fresh research ideas and meet young researchers with related interests. Even when not submitting or presenting, students are encouraged to attend the workshop to learn of and from the work of their colleagues and broaden their (scientific) horizons. More details on the submission process can be found on our website.