K-12 programs & resources

Thank you for your interest in Berkeley Engineering’s K-12 programs!

The pathway to an engineering degree begins with educators and mentors who can inspire curiosity and share the fun and excitement of discovery and invention. Berkeley Engineering offers a range of outreach programs to engage K–12 students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities and steer them toward college. We are also actively developing partnerships with community organizations. Find out more about our K-12 activities and growing partnerships below.

Note: Due to COVID-19, some programs or events may be temporarily put on hold.

Looking for additional resources or information? This page also provides information about visiting campus and admissions and suggests other resources for exploring engineering.

In this section

About K-12 outreach
Learn about our mission and vision, check out recent articles and videos, and meet our team.

For the UC community
Find resources and information for UC Berkeley staff, faculty and students engaged in K-12 outreach.

Berkeley Engineering K-12 activities

Girls in Engineering

Started in 2014, GiE provides a safe, supportive, and inclusive space for students to gain exposure to and build capacity in STEM through hands-on workshops and real-world problem-solving. This immersive experience exposes campers to a broad range of STEM fields and offers campers a chance to develop hard and soft skills, hone their critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills, and gain intuition, understanding, and confidence through doing.

Targeting historically underrepresented communities and students with limited STEM exposure, GiE strives to pique the curiosity of students that may otherwise overlook STEM fields as a possible career path. GiE is open to any San Francisco Bay Area students entering 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. GiE offers full and partial scholarships to increase access for students who otherwise would be unable to attend camp.

Join Berkeley Engineering’s
K-12 outreach mailing list!

Stay up to date with Berkeley Engineering’s K-12 programs by signing up for our mailing list.

Contact us

Do you have questions, or are you interested in partnership opportunities? Please complete this form to contact Berkeley Engineering’s K-12 outreach team.

CS Ed Day

TEALS UC Berkeley’s EECS Education Day is part of the national CS Education Week. This event aims to inspire and motivate high school students to learn more about electrical engineering and computer science, the opportunities this field affords them, and exciting research and educational activities occurring on the UC Berkeley campus.

Individual registration for this event is not allowed. Schools are invited through the local Computer Science Teachers Association network.

Cal Day

On Cal Day, the College of Engineering hosts potential students and their families, alumni and the general public as part of the campus community open house. The College of Engineering presents more than 70 events including demonstrations, lab tours, exhibits and lectures.

ROAR Academy

ROAR Academy is a rigorous and intensive two-week summer program for advanced high school students in California who have demonstrated an aptitude for academic and professional careers in STEM subjects. Academy participants will explore engineering as a career path and receive an in-depth, interactive overview of undergraduate engineering majors, programming, hardware and software design.

Bay Area Teen Science

Bay Area Teen Science (B.A.T.S.) serves as a portal to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) opportunities for all San Francisco Bay Area teenagers. It’s also a community of professionals who provide STEM programming for Bay Area teenage youth after school and in other out-of-school time settings. B.A.T.S. promotes learning, career building, collaborating, and networking for both audiences. Teens can sign up for the B.A.T.S. teen newsletter and educators can join the educator listserv.

Advisory board member for the MESA College Prep Program at CSU East Bay

Berkeley Engineering K-12 partnerships

Berkeley Engineering is proud to be growing our K-12 outreach partnerships and has supported the work of organizations like Self-eSTEM, CalTeach, the National Student Leadership Conference, and STEM to Stern. Complete our contact form if you’d like to discuss partnering with us!

Berkeley Engineering-affiliated programs

Berkeley Engineering’s fantastic faculty, staff, and students also run a number of other K-12 programs. Learn more about these programs through UC Berkeley’s STAR (STEM Training, Activities and Resources) database. To find activities for K-12 students, choose the “Kindergarten through 12th grade” filter under the “Communities” heading (filters are on the left).

UC Berkeley's SWE chapter hosts students for their Engineering Day event

SWE at UC Berkeley’s outreach activities

Berkeley’s Society of Women Engineers chapter is committed to helping kids develop a passion for science and engineering. SWE runs programs like Mini University, Engineering Day, and SWE++ for students in grades K through 12.

Photo credit: SWE at UC Berkeley

Learn about SWE’s outreach

UC Berkeley's BEAM student organizations leads students through a hands-on STEM activity

BEAM (Berkeley Engineers and Mentors)

Berkeley Engineers and Mentors (BEAM) fuses science education with mentorship by leading weekly hands-on science and engineering lessons at local elementary and middle schools.

Photo credit: Berkeley Engineers and Mentors

Learn about BEAM

PiE (Pioneers in Engineering)

Engineering student volunteers visit high schools weekly to lead hands-on experiences with STEM projects and topics. This mentoring program also prepares high school students for PiE’s spring robotics competition.

Photo credit: Pioneers in Engineering

Learn about PiE Robotics

Planning a visit to campus?

NOTE: COVID-related restrictions may impact campus tours. Consult with the Visitor Services office for current information.

Berkeley’s Visitor Services team offers free guided walking tours. (Spanish and Mandarin language tours are provided on request with 14 days’ notice.) In addition, the team offers a limited number of engineering tours that are led by specially trained campus ambassadors.

If you’re planning to visit campus, we recommend that you look at the resources offered on the Visitor Services website, including directions/parking information and campus maps. The Navigating Berkeley web page from the campus Disability Access and Compliance office also provides maps and other resources for getting around the UC Berkeley campus.

Interested in self-guided tours? We encourage you to check out Berkeley Engineering’s self-guided walking tour or one of the excellent self-guided tours developed by the Visitor Services team.

Application or admissions questions?

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions manages admissions at the undergraduate level (for both freshman and transfer applicants). For detailed information on how to apply, prospective undergraduates should visit Berkeley’s admissions website. Details about information sessions can be found on the Discover Berkeley website. Digital publications, including flyers and guides, are also available.

Application resources from the College of Engineering, including program and application FAQs, can be found on our Admissions page. If you’d like to learn more about the College of Engineering’s EECS Major and the College of Letters & Science’s CS Major, we suggest you consult this helpful comparison chart.

Resources for exploring engineering

Want to explore engineering? Check out these great resources for hands-on activities, articles, and more.

Looking for other opportunities for K-12 students to explore engineering? We recommend that you check out these excellent lists and databases of programs:

Bay Area Teen Science (a Berkeley Engineering initiative)
UC Berkeley’s STAR (STEM Training, Activities, and Resources) Database
REU Finder
California STEM Network
The Connectory