Be A Scientist Details
How To Mentor 7th Graders to "Be A Scientist"!
Be a Scientist
Roles & Responsibilities
UC Berkeley graduate students, post-docs, and 3rd/4th year undergraduates are invited to participate in the award-winning Be A Scientist program where you will serve as STEM role models for 7th graders in the Berkeley community. Your mentorship will support 7th grade students as they design, carry out, and report on their own independent scientific investigations. Throughout this process you will gain experience in science outreach and working with middle school students, develop your science communication skills, and inspire the next generation of scientists!
You will be a mentor and role model for a small group (4-6) 7th grade students in one Berkeley’s three middle schools (Willard, Longfellow, and King Middle Schools). Work with students will be in-person during school hours for Fall 2026, outdoors weather permitting and following all district safety protocols. Proof of vaccination and booster (if eligible) as well as fingerprinting will be required to volunteer.
Your responsibilities will include:
- attending a MANDATORY 2-hour Zoom training prior to the start of the program
- committing to participating in all 6 weeks of the program for the lab period you select (7 weeks at Longfellow)
- facilitating and guiding your students through designing and running a science experiment of their own choice to be done during the lab period at school
Schedule for Fall 2026
Willard Middle School
Thursdays & Fridays
September 17/18 - October 22/23
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
** denotes two simultaneous classrooms,
twice as many mentors needed
Thursdays
Period 1 = 9:20am - 10:55pm
Period 3 = 11:05am - 12:40pm **
Period 5 = 1:16pm - 2:51pm
Fridays
Period 2= 9:20am - 10:55am
Period 4 = 11:05am - 12:40pm**
Period 6 = 1:16pm - 2:51pm
Longfellow Middle School
Tuesdays
October 13 - December 8
(No sessions Oct. 27 & Nov. 24)
REGISTRATION TO OPEN 9/24
*denotes a Spanish immersion classroom, bilingual mentors needed
** denotes two simultaneous classrooms,
twice as many mentors needed
Tuesdays
Period 1 = 9:25am - 10:15am
Period 2 = 10:19am - 11:09am
Period 3 = 11:13am - 12:03pm
Period 4 = 12:07pm - 12:57pm
Period 5 = 1:32pm - 2:22pm
Period 6 = 2:26pm - 3:16pm
Period 7 = 3:20pm - 4:10pm
Be A Scientist Staff
Celia Morell-Borgstrom, Project Coordinator
BASprogram@
crscience.org
Program management & development, volunteer recruiting and training, materials management, community building, and coordination with teachers and school sites.
Celia is an educator, coordinator, and lifelong learner. Her work has focused on delivering science learning experiences across museums and community-based programs. She is driven by the idea that science provides not just an awe-inspiring understanding of our natural world, but also a precious opportunity to teach lifelong skills in creativity and critical thinking. She holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Reed College and a master's in the History and Communication of Science from the University of Valencia, Spain. Outside of work she can be found constantly rebuilding her pets' terrariums or practicing her painting.
Betsy Mitchell,
Program Coordinator
betsyjm@berkeley.edu
Program development, volunteer recruiting and training, materials management, community building, and coordination with teachers and school sites.
Betsy came to science through her love of being outdoors and watching birds. This led to graduate studies and research in zoology focused on the ecology of monkeys. Now she loves bringing scientists together with teachers and students to create enriching experiences for both.
Sam Bloom, Sr. Program Assistant, MS STEM Mentoring
Sam is an educator, scientist, and artist who is passionate about community care. They graduated from Brown University with a degree in Biology, and have worked as a high school biotech instructor, a camp counselor and administrator, an archaeological illustrator, and more. While their background is in cell and molecular biology, they also took classes in education, visual arts, ethnic studies, and gender and sexuality studies. Sam is passionate about combining their many interests into an interdisciplinary approach to learning. They also teach printmaking workshops and love linocut printing, cyanotype, and turmeric anthotype! They are from Phoenix, Arizona and love nature and the outdoors.
Ariana Villanueva, Program Assistant
Ariana is an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on structural engineering and construction management. She is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) competition teams, where she gains hands-on experience in concrete design, structural analysis, formwork, and construction practices. She’s passionate about using these experiences to grow as an engineer while also making STEM more accessible to underrepresented communities. Advocating for students of minority backgrounds, she hopes to inspire others to explore the possibilities within engineering and beyond.
Yarrow Syskine, Program Assistant
Yarrow Syskine is a PhD student researching pinyon-juniper woodland ecology in the Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley. They're passionate about science education, and have experience working as an outdoor educator in the Great Basin, as well as on-the-floor staff at the Children's Discovery Museum in Reno. When they're not in the woods measuring pinyon seedlings, you can find them sailing dinghies at the Berkeley marina, playing tabletop roleplaying games, or singing shape-note and other folk music.