Volunteer Opportunities
Classroom Assistant Volunteers
SAfG enjoys working with volunteers who are passionate about STEM and working with children to assist in our weekly after school classes which run around 8 - 10 weeks. You would be engaging the girls with hands-on projects each week and helping build their confidence around STEM, encouraging and modeling collaboration, problem solving, perseverance and that it is ok to make a mistake.
When: Throughout the year, once a week for 8-10 weeks, typically between 3:00-5:00pm
Commitment: Up to 13 hours (varies)
Where: Elementary Schools in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville
STEM Library Class Volunteers
In conjunction with the Lawrence Hall of Science, SAfG holds free monthly drop in STEM classes at libraries throughout Oakland geared towards children ages 5 to 13 and their families. Each class introduces a fun hands-on project, and we always need volunteers to work with the kids and their parents to help them feel successful, build their confidence, ask them questions about their projects – and just have fun!
When: Year-round, once a month, typically between 3:30-5:00pm during the school year, time varies over the summer
Commitment: 1.5 hours per class, once a month for the school year
Where: Libraries throughout Oakland
SAfG could not do its job without volunteers. Here are a few that have gone above and beyond volunteering for SAfG throughout the year in classes and at events:
Denis Lantsman
Coming from a family of math teachers, Denis has always loved learning and teaching math. He works as a software engineer at Desmos where he helps build digital math activities. He is fascinated by how children come to understand math and hopes to show that math is a beautiful and fun subject that everyone can be good at!
Anna Lee
Anna is the VP of Engineering and co-founder at Lioness, and was previously a mechanical design engineer at Amazon Lab126 building the Kindle Voyage e-reader and the Dash Button. Anna holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley and lives in San Francisco.
Iman Byndloss
Iman Byndloss, a High School Junior, is a volunteer from Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland. She began working with Scientific Adventures for Girls in the summer of 2017 and has continued working with the organization ever since.
Role Models
"Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday. You can’t be what you can’t see." -- Sally Ride
We invite female STEM professionals to one class during each 10-week session to meet with the girls and talk to them about how science and math played a big role in their childhoods; how they overcame challenges along the way; what they do in their jobs followed by a Q&A session. Finally they help with the project planned for the day. We want the girls to meet the amazing women in the Bay Area so they can see themselves in a STEM career some day!
When: Throughout the 2018-2019 School Year
Commitment: 1 class (2 hours)
Where: Elementary Schools in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville
"As a student, the women I looked up to played an enormous role in dictating my interests. I was lucky enough to have a mother, family friends, and female teachers whom I related to and who were in STEM fields, but even with these strong role models immediate to my life, I benefited from hearing the stories of other women in STEM. I visited Scientific Adventures to share why I love my job as a Software Engineer, and the time was well-spent.
I had individual time with many of the girls, and we were able to discuss how engineering related to each of their personal interests-- one fashionista particularly engaged with the curriculum when we discussed a connection between her Arduino LilyPad LED project and a designer dress featuring light-up patterns. The girls were excited, the teachers were passionate, the curriculum was varied, and the program made excelling in STEM seem more attainable for these girls. I'm happy to have been a part of the Scientific Adventures program."
- Sarah Jundt, SAfG Role Model and Software Engineer, Google YouTube Kids Channel
Family STEAM Night Volunteers
SAFG holds Family STEAM Nights (FSN) throughout the school year at elementary schools. Each FSN is designed to engage children and their families in hands-on STEAM projects. We need volunteers to lead project stations. These events are for K-5th grade students and their families.
When: Throughout 2018-2019 School Year, typically from 5:00-7:00pm
Commitment: 5 FSN’s throughout the school year (two hours each)
Where: Elementary Schools in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville
Near Peer Program
SAfG administers a leadership program in which middle school and high school girls serve as assistant teachers and mentors for our K-5 after school programs. This opportunity will not only help build communication skills, leadership skills and provide an opportunity to further engage in STEM, but also this is a great opportunity for our K-5 girls. To have a role model in the class closer in age is powerful and beneficial. It’s a win-win for all!
If your daughter is interested in applying for this position, please go to this link, complete the one-page application and email us requesting more information.