Openings into Schools for Researchers to Share their Expertise and Awe
Scientist Role Models Inspire, Delight, Engage Young Learners
April 2022
Our world has changed a lot in 25 years: When CRS started back in 1997, Internet access was limited and slow, music was mainly available via CDs, and pay phones were more widespread than cell phones.
Despite all the technological advances, one thing has remained the same: teachers need support to teach science well, and actual scientists make powerful partners to bring authentic meaning-making experiences to life for young learners.
While CRS team members no longer have to trudge into schools with heavy binders for teachers to leaf through in search of lesson ideas, or schedule scientist visits via mailed postcards, we have remained constant in our ability to effectively weave connections between teachers, scientists, and students.
As a result, more than 200,000 young learners have met actual scientists and engineers, and thousands of teachers have gained skills and confidence to lead exciting lessons, field trips, and school science festivals.
Early on, teachers asked for “ologists” – science experts from various fields who could come to class and “do” science (not lecture!) with kids. The outreach program began slowly, and then gained momentum in 2003 when CRS connected with UC Berkeley Chemistry Professor Robert Bergman. He encouraged the graduate students in his lab to develop lessons and take them directly into local elementary classrooms with CRS.
”A way to get people to get involved in science themselves and at least to appreciate science, even if they’re not going to become scientists, is to start as early as possible,” explains Prof. Bergman.
These early lessons delighted teachers and students. Scientists shared their curiosity and demonstrated how inquiry and scientific thinking are powerful tools for students to ‘do’ science and figure out some of the mysteries in their own daily lives. Why do ladybugs have spots? How does the water arrive in our taps, and where does it go down the drain? How does energy travel from a battery, through a circuit, to activate a light?
In the early years, our scientist teams reached a few dozen classrooms; now they reach 500 or so every year! Now called Bay Area Scientists Inspiring Students (BASIS), the outreach program has mushroomed across the UC Berkeley campus, involving more than 700 Cal graduate students from every science and engineering department, student organizations and even some undergraduate classes and clubs. From fossils to robots, from space to DNA, and so much more, these teams bring exciting lessons and encourage children to imagine their own futures in science or related fields.
In 2013, CRS, with the support of Professor Mary Wildermuth, launched the Be a Scientist program, expanding our reach to middle school students. This program has scientists mentor 7th graders as they design, carry out, and report their findings on a science investigation of their choosing. “We become strong in our learning!” exclaimed one 7th grader, delighted to discover she had the agency to find the answer to a scientific question.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, BASIS quickly pivoted to a virtual format and continued bringing scientists – virtually– directly together with students and teachers.
As one visiting scientist put it, “I appreciate how enthusiastic the teacher was to have us teach and she did a great job of managing their zoom connection.” When students were all at home learning across their own individual Zoom screen, our scientists recorded demos and got resourceful to make impactful science lessons using items that they could find around the house. When students gathered in person but visitors weren’t allowed to go into classrooms, our scientists developed fun, hands-on models that we shipped to classrooms to have an engaging science learning experience.
“Students are like sponges in the way they absorb information about the world. They are fascinated to learn how gravity and motion work, how energy is conserved and transferred, and how humans have caused climate change. CRS’s support, especially matching university experts with classrooms, has been invaluable in inspiring future scientists. Thank you CRS for all the resources and support you have provided throughout the years.” – Eleanor Tiglao, BUSD Teacher
As we celebrate our 25th year of connecting teachers and students to science resources, BASIS teams have led an astounding 7,400 lessons, reaching over 220,000 students. While the technology behind the connections has changed over the years, our commitment has stayed the same: to center joyful, relatable learning and inspire the next generation of scientists.