K-12 outreach
At Berkeley Engineering, one of our core values is to “create knowledge equitably in service of a diverse society.” Our mission is to diversify the engineering pipeline by providing educational opportunities for all students — whether or not they’re UC-bound. To achieve that, we’re creating a robust, impactful K-12 outreach program that reaches California students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. We believe that all students benefit from exposure to engineering and, more broadly, to STEM and scientific thinking — regardless of their future careers.
Our coordinated K-12 outreach program seeks to support underserved communities throughout the state of California and advance the recruitment of nontraditional applicants to the College of Engineering. We are building on our successful programs, like Girls in Engineering, and developing partnerships with UC Berkeley and community organizations. We envision a broad range of new outreach activities and projects, from opportunities to learn about Berkeley Engineering’s majors to hands-on workshops and summer engineering design camps. To maximize our impact, we aim to serve students and their families directly and partner with educators throughout California.
From June 2021 to May 2022, our outreach activities reached over 640 participants. In the fall of 2022, we established an Engineering Ambassador program that will enable us to offer a variety of new outreach activities and increase the number of students and educators we serve.
If you’re interested in learning more about our K-12 programs and partnerships, please visit our Programs & resources page. If you’re a member of the UC Berkeley community and are looking for resources or policy information, please visit our For the UC community page.
In this section
Programs & resources
Learn about our programs, partnerships and resources for K-12 students and educators.
For the UC community
Find resources and information for UC Berkeley staff, faculty and students engaged in K-12 outreach.
News, events and videos
Check out the articles, posts and videos below to learn more about Berkeley Engineering’s K-12 outreach activities.
We loved participating in the Bay Area Science Festival’s Discovery Day at Cal State East Bay in Hayward! Check out some of the fantastic drawings we got from future engineers who shared their ideas for improving their communities and the world.
Our team
Our team is dedicated to creating engaging activities that expose K-12 students to a broad range of engineering fields and illustrate the impact that engineers have on their communities and the world.
Lizzie Hager-Barnard
Director of K-12 Outreach for Berkeley Engineering
Advisor for MESA College Prep Program at CSU East Bay
Anne Mayoral
Girls in Engineering Program Director
Grace O’Connell
Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence
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.
Support K-12 activities
At Berkeley Engineering, we believe that a diverse, inclusive culture strengthens our capabilities and makes us more creative thinkers. Help us achieve our mission to diversify the pipeline of aspiring engineers by providing accessible, engaging opportunities for K-12 students throughout California.
Your gift helps us implement a coordinated K-12 outreach program that targets underserved communities across the state and aids our efforts to recruit nontraditional applicants to the College of Engineering. Thank you for supporting the next generation of engineers!