Science Professionals

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Science Professionals

CRS has fun and easy volunteer opportunities for all types of science professionals!

Volunteers are central to our mission, serving as vibrant "ambassadors of science and engineering" to local classrooms! Meeting actual scientists from different industries motivates teachers to "do more science" and inspires students to envision themselves as scientists and engineers.

Community Resources for Science connects volunteers to classrooms and opportunities throughout the East Bay. Our primary volunteer opportunity places scientists into elementary classrooms to teach interactive science and engineering lessons designed to bring science to students in a fun and accessible way. We offer comprehensive training, coaching, and support so you’ll be confident and successful in engaging young learners in science investigations or engineering challenges.

We offer additional volunteer opportunities outside of the classroom (science festivals, teacher workshops, and more) for those who may not have availability during the school day, or who are simply interested in different ways to bring science to the community! Learn more about these opportunities here.

How to Become a Volunteer:

1. Orientation: CRS will work with you to arrange a 1-2 hour orientation & training session around your schedule. Our training covers classroom management techniques, effective science teaching strategies, and program logistics so that volunteers feel fully prepared and comfortable going into the classroom. If you want to teach one of the fun, classroom-tested lessons from our Lesson Plan Archive, we'll train you on all aspects of the lesson. If you prefer to design a new lesson around your own interests, we'll coach you through the process and help you create an engaging hands-on lesson. Email teach@crscience.org to get started!

2. Team Up & Choose Dates: Most of our volunteers form teaching teams with their colleagues to go into classes. While you can teach alone if you prefer, volunteers tend to have more fun working in teams – it's a great opportunity for team-building, and it gives students the chance to interact with a diverse group of scientists. Once you've formed your teaching team, your group tells us when (dates & times) you'd like to teach your science lesson in classrooms, and CRS will schedule all your lessons around your availability!

3. Teach Science! Once your teaching dates are scheduled, you'll receive a confirmation email with the teacher name, contact info, school name, address, and any other pertinent details. We ask that you touch base with the teacher prior to the classroom visit to ensure a smooth and successful experience for everyone. Then you're ready to go! Have a great time in classrooms – the teachers and students are always excited to have you!

Hundreds of CRS volunteers engage over 12,000 students in exciting, high-quality learning experiences each year – thanks in large part to strong partnerships with scientists and engineers like you.

If you would like to become a volunteer, please contact us at teach@crscience.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Questions? Take a look at our FAQ page!

If you are interested in learning more about other science outreach opportunities that we offer outside of the classroom, please visit this page.

 

Community Resources for Science
1611 San Pablo Avenue, Suite 10 B
Berkeley, CA 94702

 

Phone: (510) 527-5212
Fax: (510) 527-5216
Email: community@crscience.org
EIN: 94-3262587

 

Privacy Statement
Join Our Team

The mission of CRS is to empower teachers and STEM professionals serving schools in historically marginalized communities to activate TK-8 students’ curiosity about the world, foster critical thinking, and inspire children to imagine future career pathways. We envision a community of educators, scientists, families and partners working together to build school cultures that equip all children to explore the world around them and build the skills needed to become innovators, problem solvers, environmental stewards, life-long learners and leaders. CRS leads a dynamic network, fostering relationships and collaborations that leverage expertise and resources to transform science teaching and learning toward greater equity, opportunity, and success for all students.

 

Our goal is simple: help teachers give students more opportunities to “do science” – to ask questions, test ideas, get their hands on real science activities. We need to inspire the next generation of thinkers, makers, problem solvers, and leaders!