Opportunities From: Berkeley Lab

Volunteer: Be a Mentor for the AVHS Girls Who Code Summit on March 21st

**Please note that this event is not hosted by LBNL. If you have any questions please contact Amador Valley HS Girls Who Code at amadorgwc@gmail.com***


The annual AVHS Girls Who Code Summit is a day-long program at Amador Valley High School designed to introduce elementary and middle school girls (grades 3-8) to coding and spark their interest in STEM. This year, our focus is on cybersecurity and robotics, with a curriculum centered on Parallax cyberbots, from building and programming to problem-solving and maze navigation. The Summit will take place on Saturday, March 21, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

We are seeking adult mentors from Berkeley Lab to join us for the day. We invite Berkeley Lab staff to volunteer as mentors, where they will have the opportunity to inspire and connect with students interested in STEM careers. Mentors will rotate as a group, accompanied by Mr. Kiyoi and/or Ms. Corbas, visiting different rooms throughout the day according to a provided schedule. In each room, a student lead mentor will welcome and brief mentors, followed by time for mentors to introduce themselves and participate in a 10-minute Q&A with students.

Mentor logistics:
Morning session: 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.Afternoon session: 1:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. (Mentors are welcome to volunteer for one or both sessions. Lunch will be provided.)To sign up, we will need each mentor’s name, email address, and a copy of their driver’s license for campus clearance.During the Q&A, mentors should be prepared to share their STEM journey, including what they enjoy about their work, how they chose their career path, and their perspective on the representation of women in their field.

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

**Please note that this event is not hosted by LBNL. If you have any questions please contact Amador Valley HS Girls Who Code at amadorgwc@gmail.com***


The annual AVHS Girls Who Code Summit is a day-long program at Amador Valley High School designed to introduce elementary and middle school girls (grades 3-8) to coding and spark their interest in STEM. This year, our focus is on cybersecurity and robotics, with a curriculum centered on Parallax cyberbots, from building and programming to problem-solving and maze navigation. The Summit will take place on Saturday, March 21, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

We are seeking adult mentors from Berkeley Lab to join us for the day. We invite Berkeley Lab staff to volunteer as mentors, where they will have the opportunity to inspire and connect with students interested in STEM careers. Mentors will rotate as a group, accompanied by Mr. Kiyoi and/or Ms. Corbas, visiting different rooms throughout the day according to a provided schedule. In each room, a student lead mentor will welcome and brief mentors, followed by time for mentors to introduce themselves and participate in a 10-minute Q&A with students.

Mentor logistics:
Morning session: 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.Afternoon session: 1:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. (Mentors are welcome to volunteer for one or both sessions. Lunch will be provided.)To sign up, we will need each mentor’s name, email address, and a copy of their driver’s license for campus clearance.During the Q&A, mentors should be prepared to share their STEM journey, including what they enjoy about their work, how they chose their career path, and their perspective on the representation of women in their field.

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Multiple Shifts Available

Zip Code: 94566

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Seeking Welcoming Committee for Science en Acción (SeA) bilingual STEM camp 2026

Science en Acción (SeA) is a 4 day, spring break camp (April 8-11, 2026) for English learning/Spanish-English bilingual high school students who are interested in learning more about STEM and career opportunities at Berkeley Lab. Activities include tours of Berkeley Lab facilities, career talks with scientists, and workshops both at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley. These events will be in English and Spanish. 

We are looking for volunteers to meet and greet students and their families at the Downtown Berkeley BART station and guide them to Lab shuttles or to UC Berkeley. Available shifts are as follows:

9:00-10:00am on Thursday, April 9th: Meet and greet students at the Downtown Berkeley BART station and guide them to Lab shuttles, then guide students to classroom in Building 50A.

9:00-10:00am on Friday, April 10th: Meet and greet students at the Downtown Berkeley BART station and guide them to Lab shuttles, then guide students to classroom in Building 50A.

9:00-10:00am on Saturday, April 11th: Meet and greet families at Downtown Berkeley BART station and walk to UC Berkeley Physics South building (by the Campanile).

Spanish proficiency required. Volunteers can sign up for any or all of these shifts. Volunteers will be accompanied by at least one K-12 team member. For any questions, please contact Elina Rios (erios@lbl.gov) .

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Science en Acción (SeA) is a 4 day, spring break camp (April 8-11, 2026) for English learning/Spanish-English bilingual high school students who are interested in learning more about STEM and career opportunities at Berkeley Lab. Activities include tours of Berkeley Lab facilities, career talks with scientists, and workshops both at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley. These events will be in English and Spanish. 

We are looking for volunteers to meet and greet students and their families at the Downtown Berkeley BART station and guide them to Lab shuttles or to UC Berkeley. Available shifts are as follows:

9:00-10:00am on Thursday, April 9th: Meet and greet students at the Downtown Berkeley BART station and guide them to Lab shuttles, then guide students to classroom in Building 50A.

9:00-10:00am on Friday, April 10th: Meet and greet students at the Downtown Berkeley BART station and guide them to Lab shuttles, then guide students to classroom in Building 50A.

9:00-10:00am on Saturday, April 11th: Meet and greet families at Downtown Berkeley BART station and walk to UC Berkeley Physics South building (by the Campanile).

Spanish proficiency required. Volunteers can sign up for any or all of these shifts. Volunteers will be accompanied by at least one K-12 team member. For any questions, please contact Elina Rios (erios@lbl.gov) .

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Multiple Shifts Available

Zip Code: 94720

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Facilitate a hands-on STEM workshop for Science en Acción (SeA) bilingual STEM camp 2026

Science en Acción (SeA) is a spring break camp (April 8-11, 2026) for English learning/Spanish-English bilingual students who are interested in learning more about STEM and career opportunities at Berkeley Lab. Activities include tours of Berkeley Lab facilities, career talks with scientists, and workshops both at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley. These events will be in English and Spanish.
 
We are seeking facilitators to work with students to support them through hands-on STEM activities. On Thursday (April 9), students will be using Foldscopes (portable microscopes) to look at various samples at the UC Botanical Garden. On Friday (April 10), students will be completing an introductory coding and circuitry activity. 
No prior STEM expertise is needed for any of the activities. Volunteers will be asked to sign up for a one-hour workshop training session during the month of March (multiple dates will be offered). Although Spanish proficiency is not required (translators will be present), it is preferred. 
All volunteers participating in K-12 programs must complete an online working with minors course, sign and submit a CANRA form, and pass a background check.
 
For any questions please contact K-12 Special Programs Manager, Elina D Rios at erios@lbl.gov

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Science en Acción (SeA) is a spring break camp (April 8-11, 2026) for English learning/Spanish-English bilingual students who are interested in learning more about STEM and career opportunities at Berkeley Lab. Activities include tours of Berkeley Lab facilities, career talks with scientists, and workshops both at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley. These events will be in English and Spanish.
 
We are seeking facilitators to work with students to support them through hands-on STEM activities. On Thursday (April 9), students will be using Foldscopes (portable microscopes) to look at various samples at the UC Botanical Garden. On Friday (April 10), students will be completing an introductory coding and circuitry activity. 
No prior STEM expertise is needed for any of the activities. Volunteers will be asked to sign up for a one-hour workshop training session during the month of March (multiple dates will be offered). Although Spanish proficiency is not required (translators will be present), it is preferred. 
All volunteers participating in K-12 programs must complete an online working with minors course, sign and submit a CANRA form, and pass a background check.
 
For any questions please contact K-12 Special Programs Manager, Elina D Rios at erios@lbl.gov

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Multiple Shifts Available

Zip Code: 94720

Allow Groups: Yes

Volunteer: Help troubleshoot circuit design for Berkeley Lab Director's Apprenticeship Program 2026

The Berkeley Lab Director’s Apprenticeship Program: Interdisciplinary Pathways to Machine Learning and Data Science (BLDAP:IPMLDS) is a project-based high school STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) program designed to help participants develop 21st century skills, learn about Berkeley Lab’s research activities, receive college and career guidance, and develop a STEM network in a real-life work environment. The program seeks to remove barriers, such as a lack of access to professional networks and work-based opportunities, by providing strong connections to the scientific community at Berkeley Lab.
 
We are seeking TAs for our intro to electronics workshops. TAs will work with small groups of students, answering their questions and providing troubleshooting tips as they assemble simple circuits using a circuit design trainer and Arduino. 
Various dates are available from June 18th to July 9th. The program will be on site, and we ask volunteers to also join us in-person. 
All volunteers participating in K-12 programs must complete an online working with minors course (~90 minutes), sign and submit a CANRA form, and pass a background check. 
For any questions please contact K-12 Lead Education Facilitator Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov)

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

The Berkeley Lab Director’s Apprenticeship Program: Interdisciplinary Pathways to Machine Learning and Data Science (BLDAP:IPMLDS) is a project-based high school STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) program designed to help participants develop 21st century skills, learn about Berkeley Lab’s research activities, receive college and career guidance, and develop a STEM network in a real-life work environment. The program seeks to remove barriers, such as a lack of access to professional networks and work-based opportunities, by providing strong connections to the scientific community at Berkeley Lab.
 
We are seeking TAs for our intro to electronics workshops. TAs will work with small groups of students, answering their questions and providing troubleshooting tips as they assemble simple circuits using a circuit design trainer and Arduino. 
Various dates are available from June 18th to July 9th. The program will be on site, and we ask volunteers to also join us in-person. 
All volunteers participating in K-12 programs must complete an online working with minors course (~90 minutes), sign and submit a CANRA form, and pass a background check. 
For any questions please contact K-12 Lead Education Facilitator Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov)

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Jun 18, 2026 through Jul 9, 2026

Allow Groups: Yes

Volunteer: Application readers needed for BLDAP:IPMLDS 2026

BLDAP:IPMLDS is a project-based high school STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) program designed to help participants develop 21st century skills, learn about Berkeley Lab's research activities, receive college and career guidance, and develop a STEM network in a real-life work environment. The program seeks to remove barriers, such as a lack of access to professional networks and work-based opportunities, by providing strong connections to the scientific community at Berkeley Lab.
We are seeking application readers for BLDAP:IPMLDS 2026. Application readers will look over student application materials including short essay answers, teacher recommendations, etc and will award points using a provided rubric and give overall recommendations to help the K-12 team select the 2026 cohort.

Applications are due March 22nd. Readers will be given material to read over from March 30th to April 10th. There will also be an info session (~30 minutes) on March 12th at noon.  
For any questions please contact A-LIFT's Lead Education Facilitator, Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov)

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

BLDAP:IPMLDS is a project-based high school STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) program designed to help participants develop 21st century skills, learn about Berkeley Lab's research activities, receive college and career guidance, and develop a STEM network in a real-life work environment. The program seeks to remove barriers, such as a lack of access to professional networks and work-based opportunities, by providing strong connections to the scientific community at Berkeley Lab.
We are seeking application readers for BLDAP:IPMLDS 2026. Application readers will look over student application materials including short essay answers, teacher recommendations, etc and will award points using a provided rubric and give overall recommendations to help the K-12 team select the 2026 cohort.

Applications are due March 22nd. Readers will be given material to read over from March 30th to April 10th. There will also be an info session (~30 minutes) on March 12th at noon.  
For any questions please contact A-LIFT's Lead Education Facilitator, Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov)

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Mar 30, 2026 through Apr 10, 2026

Allow Groups: Yes

Volunteer: Become an intro to Python/data science TA for Berkeley Lab Director's Apprenticeship Program 2026

The Berkeley Lab Director’s Apprenticeship Program: Interdisciplinary Pathways to Machine Learning and Data Science (BLDAP:IPMLDS) is a project-based high school STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) program designed to help participants develop 21st century skills, learn about Berkeley Lab’s research activities, receive college and career guidance, and develop a STEM network in a real-life work environment. The program seeks to remove barriers, such as a lack of access to professional networks and work-based opportunities, by providing strong connections to the scientific community at Berkeley Lab.
  
Our cohort of around 20 students will complete an intro to Python/data science/machine learning course as part of the program. The students will be entering the program with little to no experience coding. The curriculum will cover the following topics: data types, variables, lists, conditionals, loops, numpy arrays, pandas (input/output of dataframes, indexing, slicing, manipulating columns, statistics, various functions for exploratory data analysis), and data visualization with matplotlib. Towards the end of the program, students will apply their knowledge on data sets using data from various Berkeley Lab research projects. Students will also work on machine learning applications.  
We are seeking TAs for our intro to Python/data science course. TAs will work with small groups of students, answering their questions and providing guidance as they work through coding exercises using Jupyter notebooks. TAs will also be asked to grade and provide feedback for weekly challenge notebooks collected from students.  
Various dates are available from June 17th to July 15th. A separate sign-up sheet with specific dates and times will be shared with volunteers, and volunteers can sign up for any dates/times that work best for them. The program will be on site, and we ask volunteers to also join us in-person.  
All volunteers participating in K-12 programs must complete an online working with minors course (~90 minutes), sign and submit a CANRA form, and pass a background check.  
For any questions, please contact A-LIFT Lead Education Facilitator, Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov).

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

The Berkeley Lab Director’s Apprenticeship Program: Interdisciplinary Pathways to Machine Learning and Data Science (BLDAP:IPMLDS) is a project-based high school STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) program designed to help participants develop 21st century skills, learn about Berkeley Lab’s research activities, receive college and career guidance, and develop a STEM network in a real-life work environment. The program seeks to remove barriers, such as a lack of access to professional networks and work-based opportunities, by providing strong connections to the scientific community at Berkeley Lab.
  
Our cohort of around 20 students will complete an intro to Python/data science/machine learning course as part of the program. The students will be entering the program with little to no experience coding. The curriculum will cover the following topics: data types, variables, lists, conditionals, loops, numpy arrays, pandas (input/output of dataframes, indexing, slicing, manipulating columns, statistics, various functions for exploratory data analysis), and data visualization with matplotlib. Towards the end of the program, students will apply their knowledge on data sets using data from various Berkeley Lab research projects. Students will also work on machine learning applications.  
We are seeking TAs for our intro to Python/data science course. TAs will work with small groups of students, answering their questions and providing guidance as they work through coding exercises using Jupyter notebooks. TAs will also be asked to grade and provide feedback for weekly challenge notebooks collected from students.  
Various dates are available from June 17th to July 15th. A separate sign-up sheet with specific dates and times will be shared with volunteers, and volunteers can sign up for any dates/times that work best for them. The program will be on site, and we ask volunteers to also join us in-person.  
All volunteers participating in K-12 programs must complete an online working with minors course (~90 minutes), sign and submit a CANRA form, and pass a background check.  
For any questions, please contact A-LIFT Lead Education Facilitator, Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov).

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Runs Until Jul 16, 2026

Allow Groups: Yes

Volunteer: Be a Presenter for Reverse Science Fair

Remember grade school science fairs? Well, the Lab is taking that format and turning it on its head with volunteer researchers and STEM professionals presenting their work for evaluation by a team of middle school judges. 

On the following dates, in coordination with Berkeley Lab's Early Career ERG, K-12 Programs, and the Community Resources for Science organization, we are looking for STEM and STEM-adjacent professionals to visit Middle Schools and present their 'science projects' for 8th grade students to view and judge. 



More Details: 

This is an in-person event at Berkeley and Oakland Middle Schools, We will have 2, 3 hours sessions. Volunteers are welcome to join ONE of these sessions as the times overlap.  Students will talk to 4 different presenters and take notes to help them judge the best 'science fair project'.  Volunteers will need to travel to and from the middle school. Contact Elina D Rios at erios@lbl.gov if you need help with transportation or have any other questions. Contact Elina D Rios at erios@lbl.gov for a copy of a recording of the previous info sessions. Contact Corbin Shatto at cshatto@lbl.gov for any questions about the event


Next opportunity:

November 17 & 18th - Longfellow Middle School (Berkeley)

January 28th - Claremont Middle School (Oakland)

February 23rd & 24th - Martin Luther King Middle School (Berkeley)

March 23rd - Frick Middle School (Oakland)

April 13th - Willard Middle School (Berkeley)

More schools to be added soon

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Remember grade school science fairs? Well, the Lab is taking that format and turning it on its head with volunteer researchers and STEM professionals presenting their work for evaluation by a team of middle school judges. 

On the following dates, in coordination with Berkeley Lab's Early Career ERG, K-12 Programs, and the Community Resources for Science organization, we are looking for STEM and STEM-adjacent professionals to visit Middle Schools and present their 'science projects' for 8th grade students to view and judge. 



More Details: 

This is an in-person event at Berkeley and Oakland Middle Schools, We will have 2, 3 hours sessions. Volunteers are welcome to join ONE of these sessions as the times overlap.  Students will talk to 4 different presenters and take notes to help them judge the best 'science fair project'.  Volunteers will need to travel to and from the middle school. Contact Elina D Rios at erios@lbl.gov if you need help with transportation or have any other questions. Contact Elina D Rios at erios@lbl.gov for a copy of a recording of the previous info sessions. Contact Corbin Shatto at cshatto@lbl.gov for any questions about the event


Next opportunity:

November 17 & 18th - Longfellow Middle School (Berkeley)

January 28th - Claremont Middle School (Oakland)

February 23rd & 24th - Martin Luther King Middle School (Berkeley)

March 23rd - Frick Middle School (Oakland)

April 13th - Willard Middle School (Berkeley)

More schools to be added soon

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Multiple Shifts Available

Zip Code: 94701

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Assist with hands-on STEM activities with Bay Area 6th graders

This fall and spring, Berkeley Lab K-12 Programs will be hosting fun, hands-on STEM activities for 6th graders in the Bay Area.

This is an in-person opportunity. All activities will be led by the K-12 team. Volunteers will be asked to guide the students through the activities, no prior knowledge or experience is required.

Students will be participating in a number of activities that will allow them to use their observation skills. Possible activities include: 

 

What are Stars Made Of? (Astronomy and Spectroscopy Scientific Observations) - 40 minutes  In this activity, students will explore the different emission spectra of elements by observing heated gas elements (color) with diffraction gratings (or spectroscopes). Students will draw their observations on a handout. Then, students will use the emission spectra they've collected to decipher what elements exist in stars.  
Microscopic Explorations (Scientific Observations) - 40 minutes   In this activity, students use their observation skills to identify patterns, shapes, and materials using a microscope. Several activity stations are set up with activities and materials (fingerprinting, sand, salt, newsprint, fabric) that allow participants to see what's beyond the eye.   
Circuit Card (Electronics) - 30 minutes  Students get a short introduction to electronics and conductivity in this activity. Following a template, students are able to create a small circuit using copper tape, a button battery and LED. Once the circuit is created the light can be integrated with the picture of the advanced light source (ALS) on the opposite side of the circuit.    
Chibi Traffic Lights (Coding and Electronics) - 45 minutes In this activity, students get an introduction to coding and electronics. Students connect to a small microcontroller that allows them to control the built-in lights via programmable commands. They then will learn the basics behind how a traffic light is programmed and get a chance to create their own. 


Volunteers can sign up for any shift that best fits their schedule.  K-12 team members will be present to guide the facilitation.

For any questions, please contact K-12 Lead Education Facilitator, Corbin Shatto: cshatto@lbl.gov 

Locations will be updated as they are added to shifts: 

September 29th - Longfellow Middle School (Berkeley)

November 3rd & 4th - Willard Middle School (Berkeley)

December 10th - Claremont Middle (Oakland)

December 11th - Frick Middle (Oakland)

March 17, 18, 19 - King Middle (Berkeley)

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

This fall and spring, Berkeley Lab K-12 Programs will be hosting fun, hands-on STEM activities for 6th graders in the Bay Area.

This is an in-person opportunity. All activities will be led by the K-12 team. Volunteers will be asked to guide the students through the activities, no prior knowledge or experience is required.

Students will be participating in a number of activities that will allow them to use their observation skills. Possible activities include: 

 

What are Stars Made Of? (Astronomy and Spectroscopy Scientific Observations) - 40 minutes  In this activity, students will explore the different emission spectra of elements by observing heated gas elements (color) with diffraction gratings (or spectroscopes). Students will draw their observations on a handout. Then, students will use the emission spectra they've collected to decipher what elements exist in stars.  
Microscopic Explorations (Scientific Observations) - 40 minutes   In this activity, students use their observation skills to identify patterns, shapes, and materials using a microscope. Several activity stations are set up with activities and materials (fingerprinting, sand, salt, newsprint, fabric) that allow participants to see what's beyond the eye.   
Circuit Card (Electronics) - 30 minutes  Students get a short introduction to electronics and conductivity in this activity. Following a template, students are able to create a small circuit using copper tape, a button battery and LED. Once the circuit is created the light can be integrated with the picture of the advanced light source (ALS) on the opposite side of the circuit.    
Chibi Traffic Lights (Coding and Electronics) - 45 minutes In this activity, students get an introduction to coding and electronics. Students connect to a small microcontroller that allows them to control the built-in lights via programmable commands. They then will learn the basics behind how a traffic light is programmed and get a chance to create their own. 


Volunteers can sign up for any shift that best fits their schedule.  K-12 team members will be present to guide the facilitation.

For any questions, please contact K-12 Lead Education Facilitator, Corbin Shatto: cshatto@lbl.gov 

Locations will be updated as they are added to shifts: 

September 29th - Longfellow Middle School (Berkeley)

November 3rd & 4th - Willard Middle School (Berkeley)

December 10th - Claremont Middle (Oakland)

December 11th - Frick Middle (Oakland)

March 17, 18, 19 - King Middle (Berkeley)

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Multiple Shifts Available

Zip Code: 94705

Allow Groups: Yes

Volunteer: Become a Mentor for High School Summer Interns - Summer 2026

The Experiences in Research program is a 6-week internship for high school students to work on cutting edge projects alongside experts at Berkeley Lab. We are looking for projects/mentors from both STEM and STEM adjacent fields (experimental, data science, coding, administration, science communication). Project descriptions for summer 2025 can be found here. Mentors/projects that can have interns on-site for at least 2 days / week will be prioritized for 2026.

Please complete and submit the project planner by January 23rd, 2026 for your internship project to be part of the program. Please visit our webpage for more information on commitments and timeline as a mentor.

For any questions please contact Faith Dukes (fmdukes@lbl.gov).

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

The Experiences in Research program is a 6-week internship for high school students to work on cutting edge projects alongside experts at Berkeley Lab. We are looking for projects/mentors from both STEM and STEM adjacent fields (experimental, data science, coding, administration, science communication). Project descriptions for summer 2025 can be found here. Mentors/projects that can have interns on-site for at least 2 days / week will be prioritized for 2026.

Please complete and submit the project planner by January 23rd, 2026 for your internship project to be part of the program. Please visit our webpage for more information on commitments and timeline as a mentor.

For any questions please contact Faith Dukes (fmdukes@lbl.gov).

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Runs Until Jul 24, 2026

Zip Code: 94720

Allow Groups: Yes

Volunteer: Seeking Virtual Career Speakers for Antioch High

The K-12 Team is seeking volunteers for Virtual speaking opportunities for students from the STEM club at Antioch High. Students would like to chat with STEM professionals from the Berkeley Lab in different areas. These talks would be virtual at 3 pm and last for 1 hour. 

Career chats are a great opportunity for students to hear from the Berkeley Lab's STEM Community. 

These High School students are interest in education paths and how Berkeley Lab staff arrived at their current positions. They would also like insight into a lab employee's day-to-day work. 

We are looking for these careers/areas on these dates:

 November 12th - Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering
December 3rd- Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering
February 5th - Biology, Microbiology, Biomedical
April 9th - Data Science, Chemistry, Physics


For any questions, please email Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov)

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

The K-12 Team is seeking volunteers for Virtual speaking opportunities for students from the STEM club at Antioch High. Students would like to chat with STEM professionals from the Berkeley Lab in different areas. These talks would be virtual at 3 pm and last for 1 hour. 

Career chats are a great opportunity for students to hear from the Berkeley Lab's STEM Community. 

These High School students are interest in education paths and how Berkeley Lab staff arrived at their current positions. They would also like insight into a lab employee's day-to-day work. 

We are looking for these careers/areas on these dates:

 November 12th - Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering
December 3rd- Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering
February 5th - Biology, Microbiology, Biomedical
April 9th - Data Science, Chemistry, Physics


For any questions, please email Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov)

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Multiple Shifts Available

Zip Code: 94701

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Seeking data science project mentors for BLDAP 2025-2026

The Berkeley Lab Director’s Apprenticeship Program (BLDAP) is a project-based high school STEM program designed to help participants develop 21st century skills, learn about Berkeley Lab’s research activities, receive college and career guidance, and develop a STEM network in a real-life work environment. BLDAP seeks to remove systemic barriers, such as a lack of access to professional networks and work-based opportunities, by providing strong connections to the scientific community at Berkeley Lab.  
The BLDAP 2025 cohort (21 students) will meet monthly (October - April) on Sunday afternoons or weeknights. In addition to college and career workshops, students will be working in teams to carry out a data science research project highlighting a community issue of their choice. The Berkeley Lab K-12 team is seeking mentors to check-in with the student team about once every other month to give feedback to their work and check on their progress. Check-ins will be conducted virtually over Zoom. We will try to pair mentors as a mentoring team.  
Mentors do not need to be data scientists - any experience working with data and data analysis is welcome! There will be an info session (October 14th at 10 am) to give an overview of the data science project. Most meetings will be held online unless indicated as hybrid.   
Check-in dates and project deliverables are as follows (please note that dates in January through April are subject to change): October 26 (hybrid): Meet mentees, refine research question, and data collection methods November 23 (check-in optional): Data collection ongoing December 14 (in-person; optional): Data collection ongoing; mentors are invited to join a lunch with mentees and BLDAP alumni January 25: Data collection done, data cleaning February 22 (check-in optional): Exploratory data analysis, data visualizations, data modeling March 22: Finalize data visualizations and findings for presentations April 19: Initial drafts of presentations ready for review May date TBD (in-person, optional for mentors): Presentations  
All volunteers participating in K-12 programs must complete an online working with minors course (~90 minutes), sign and submit a CANRA form, and pass a background check.
 
For any questions, please contact the K-12 Lead Education Facilitator, Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov).

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

The Berkeley Lab Director’s Apprenticeship Program (BLDAP) is a project-based high school STEM program designed to help participants develop 21st century skills, learn about Berkeley Lab’s research activities, receive college and career guidance, and develop a STEM network in a real-life work environment. BLDAP seeks to remove systemic barriers, such as a lack of access to professional networks and work-based opportunities, by providing strong connections to the scientific community at Berkeley Lab.  
The BLDAP 2025 cohort (21 students) will meet monthly (October - April) on Sunday afternoons or weeknights. In addition to college and career workshops, students will be working in teams to carry out a data science research project highlighting a community issue of their choice. The Berkeley Lab K-12 team is seeking mentors to check-in with the student team about once every other month to give feedback to their work and check on their progress. Check-ins will be conducted virtually over Zoom. We will try to pair mentors as a mentoring team.  
Mentors do not need to be data scientists - any experience working with data and data analysis is welcome! There will be an info session (October 14th at 10 am) to give an overview of the data science project. Most meetings will be held online unless indicated as hybrid.   
Check-in dates and project deliverables are as follows (please note that dates in January through April are subject to change): October 26 (hybrid): Meet mentees, refine research question, and data collection methods November 23 (check-in optional): Data collection ongoing December 14 (in-person; optional): Data collection ongoing; mentors are invited to join a lunch with mentees and BLDAP alumni January 25: Data collection done, data cleaning February 22 (check-in optional): Exploratory data analysis, data visualizations, data modeling March 22: Finalize data visualizations and findings for presentations April 19: Initial drafts of presentations ready for review May date TBD (in-person, optional for mentors): Presentations  
All volunteers participating in K-12 programs must complete an online working with minors course (~90 minutes), sign and submit a CANRA form, and pass a background check.
 
For any questions, please contact the K-12 Lead Education Facilitator, Corbin Shatto (cshatto@lbl.gov).

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Runs Until May 30, 2026

Allow Groups: Yes

Volunteer: Become a Mentor: Help Students Learn About Robotics At Ygnacio Valley HS

Help Students Learn About Robotics

Ygnacio Valley High School’s robotics team in Concord needs mentors. You can make a huge difference in the lives of some really great kids — even if you’re not a robotics expert.

Why?
• Be the reason a student finishes high school, or goes to college, or likes learning
• Advance your own skills in EE, MechE, software, or project management
• Playing with robots is fun!


What qualifications do I need?
• No robotics or engineering knowledge required! If you’re able to circulate and help keep the students focused, or tell them where to put tools away, or remind them to wear their goggles in the lab, or figure out who isn’t asking for help they need, that’s valuable. If you’re good with project management, even better. Of course, if you want to learn about robotics so you can mentor more, we’re happy to teach you!
• Some availability 3:45pm-6pm on weekdays. We suspect this will be the sticking point for most people. See “What’s Involved” below for details.
• Reliability and communication. If you pride yourself on doing what you say you will, and on letting others know in advance when you won’t be able to deliver (because it happens to everyone), you’ll be a huge help to our understaffed team!


More Info
FIRST (“For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”, www.firstinspires.org) promotes STEM education by sponsoring robotics competitions at several levels, culminating with the First Robotics Competition (FRC) for high school students.

YVHS created an FRC team, named Project 212, in 2018. We lost some institutional knowledge with the pandemic, but gained another mentor in 2022. Now our founding mentor is moving out of state, and our new mentor needs some help.

The FRC season involves teaching students engineering principles, lab safety, proper use of power tools, and many other skills from September through December. In early January, the rules for the new year’s competition are announced. Robots will compete in a
game with new rules, completely different from the previous year. In only 6-8 weeks, each team will figure out a game strategy, figure out how to build a robot to implement that strategy, program and debug their robot, and then compete against other teams. The robots
are entirely student-designed and student-built: Mentors only advise – we aren’t allowed to build, repair, program, or design any robots that compete. It’s impressive and inspirational to watch students take on that challenging timeline and build robots that work!


What’s involved?
• Project 212 meets after school Mondays and Fridays from 3:45pm-6pm (ish). It would be great if you could generally attend at least twice a month. (Arriving late or leaving early is fine.)
• During the “build season” (January through March), we also meet after school on Wednesdays, and also for 8 hours on Saturdays. You aren’t expected to be there every Saturday start to finish, but it’s valuable if you can show up more to help.
• Not required, but fun: Attend competitions with the students and cheer like crazy! (And, yes, help with team logistics.)


Sounds great! How do I get more info?
Please note: This is not a Berkeley Lab hosted program but through a third party (Ygnacio Valley HS). Please email Alyssa Brand at abrand@lbl.gov or lead mentor Jon Solera at  jon@emufarm.org and learn more!

Be a mentor — make a difference

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Help Students Learn About Robotics

Ygnacio Valley High School’s robotics team in Concord needs mentors. You can make a huge difference in the lives of some really great kids — even if you’re not a robotics expert.

Why?
• Be the reason a student finishes high school, or goes to college, or likes learning
• Advance your own skills in EE, MechE, software, or project management
• Playing with robots is fun!


What qualifications do I need?
• No robotics or engineering knowledge required! If you’re able to circulate and help keep the students focused, or tell them where to put tools away, or remind them to wear their goggles in the lab, or figure out who isn’t asking for help they need, that’s valuable. If you’re good with project management, even better. Of course, if you want to learn about robotics so you can mentor more, we’re happy to teach you!
• Some availability 3:45pm-6pm on weekdays. We suspect this will be the sticking point for most people. See “What’s Involved” below for details.
• Reliability and communication. If you pride yourself on doing what you say you will, and on letting others know in advance when you won’t be able to deliver (because it happens to everyone), you’ll be a huge help to our understaffed team!


More Info
FIRST (“For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology”, www.firstinspires.org) promotes STEM education by sponsoring robotics competitions at several levels, culminating with the First Robotics Competition (FRC) for high school students.

YVHS created an FRC team, named Project 212, in 2018. We lost some institutional knowledge with the pandemic, but gained another mentor in 2022. Now our founding mentor is moving out of state, and our new mentor needs some help.

The FRC season involves teaching students engineering principles, lab safety, proper use of power tools, and many other skills from September through December. In early January, the rules for the new year’s competition are announced. Robots will compete in a
game with new rules, completely different from the previous year. In only 6-8 weeks, each team will figure out a game strategy, figure out how to build a robot to implement that strategy, program and debug their robot, and then compete against other teams. The robots
are entirely student-designed and student-built: Mentors only advise – we aren’t allowed to build, repair, program, or design any robots that compete. It’s impressive and inspirational to watch students take on that challenging timeline and build robots that work!


What’s involved?
• Project 212 meets after school Mondays and Fridays from 3:45pm-6pm (ish). It would be great if you could generally attend at least twice a month. (Arriving late or leaving early is fine.)
• During the “build season” (January through March), we also meet after school on Wednesdays, and also for 8 hours on Saturdays. You aren’t expected to be there every Saturday start to finish, but it’s valuable if you can show up more to help.
• Not required, but fun: Attend competitions with the students and cheer like crazy! (And, yes, help with team logistics.)


Sounds great! How do I get more info?
Please note: This is not a Berkeley Lab hosted program but through a third party (Ygnacio Valley HS). Please email Alyssa Brand at abrand@lbl.gov or lead mentor Jon Solera at  jon@emufarm.org and learn more!

Be a mentor — make a difference

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Is Ongoing

Zip Code: 94518

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Support the Pinole Valley Engineering Academy

This year, Pinole Valley High School is seeking volunteers from ALL areas of Engineering to support activities. These activities include speaking opportunities, mock interviews, judging and more.  

A highlighted event includes their Engineering Day/Week being held from September 25-29. Sophomores are taking a course called Principles of Engineering, where they are introduced  to as many engineering/trade disciplines as possible. They are looking for those that may be interested in attending as guest speakers.

Students will be divided into 4 groups, and each group will rotate rooms where they listen to a speaker or participate in a hands-on activity. During the rotations, speakers will stay in the same room. Each speaker would do a 30 minute presentation per group. The Academy would like to have 2 speakers per room to switch off. Hands-on activities are also very welcome.  

We have roughly 55 Sophomores in total. For details on our academy, see the attached.

If you are interested in supporting Engineering Day or supporting us in any other activities we may have, please complete the attached participating form. It includes the list of times for Engineering Week. 

 

Please respond to this note AND complete the participation form linked above. 



Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

This year, Pinole Valley High School is seeking volunteers from ALL areas of Engineering to support activities. These activities include speaking opportunities, mock interviews, judging and more.  

A highlighted event includes their Engineering Day/Week being held from September 25-29. Sophomores are taking a course called Principles of Engineering, where they are introduced  to as many engineering/trade disciplines as possible. They are looking for those that may be interested in attending as guest speakers.

Students will be divided into 4 groups, and each group will rotate rooms where they listen to a speaker or participate in a hands-on activity. During the rotations, speakers will stay in the same room. Each speaker would do a 30 minute presentation per group. The Academy would like to have 2 speakers per room to switch off. Hands-on activities are also very welcome.  

We have roughly 55 Sophomores in total. For details on our academy, see the attached.

If you are interested in supporting Engineering Day or supporting us in any other activities we may have, please complete the attached participating form. It includes the list of times for Engineering Week. 

 

Please respond to this note AND complete the participation form linked above. 



Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Is Ongoing

Allow Groups: No

Volunteer: Activities with K-12

This opportunity block will be used to capture activities that were not previously advertised on the galaxy digital site and/or are ongoing opportunities with community organizations.

Managers can assign this block to users for previous volunteer opportunity hours. Please respond to this opportunity and email Faith Dukes (fmdukes@lbl.gov) to update hours. 

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

This opportunity block will be used to capture activities that were not previously advertised on the galaxy digital site and/or are ongoing opportunities with community organizations.

Managers can assign this block to users for previous volunteer opportunity hours. Please respond to this opportunity and email Faith Dukes (fmdukes@lbl.gov) to update hours. 

Berkeley Lab Program: Berkeley Lab K-12 STEM Programs

Opportunity Type: Volunteer

Date: Is Ongoing

Allow Groups: No