UC Berkeley's SWE Outreach is committed to helping kids
develop a passion for science and engineering. We hold events for students in grades K through 12. Read
more below to find out how you can participate or volunteer.
Semester-Long Programs
High School Engineering Program
high school
students served: 30
The High School Engineering Program (HSEP) is a 10-week long program that aims to foster a nurturing
environment for female-identifying and nonbinary high school students to learn and explore their interests
in engineering. In the first half of the program, students gain exposure to different engineering
disciplines through talks from UC Berkeley professors and hands-on demos led by engineering student
organizations. During the latter half of the program, students are divided into small groups and paired with
an undergraduate mentor to brainstorm, design, and build a technical, community-oriented engineering project
of their choosing. The program culminates in a Final Showcase where each project mentor group has the
opportunity to present their projects to family, friends, and community members.
SWE++ is a 10-week long program for female and nonbinary middle school students to gain introductory
programming skills. Lessons are taught in both Scratch and Python and are completely created and taught by
volunteers. After learning the fundamentals of computer science, students have an opportunity to showcase
their new coding superpowers in a final project.
SWENext is a national outreach program that aims to support high school students through every step of the
way of their STEM journey to college. The program consists of the following key components: reaching out to
local high schools to establish new SWENext clubs and supporting their growth and development, partnering
with high schools to host a mentorship program between UC Berkeley undergraduates and high school students.
The mentorship program runs for one semester, but often continues beyond that. We also financially
supporting SWENext clubs with small scholarships so students can host workshops, hackathons, or other events
at their school.
SWE Science hosts monthly “SWE Science Saturdays” that teach engineering ideas and principles to 4th-5th
grade students and 6th-8th grade students. Students of all genders have the opportunity to participate in
various hands-on STEM activities/experiments, learning and practicing foundational STEM principles!
Mini-University is a one-day event for students from local, underserved high schools to learn more about
STEM and engineering careers. The event provides participants the opportunity to interact with current
engineering/STEM students and Berkeley engineering faculty, engage in hands-on engineering activities, and
tour academic labs. The goal of Mini-U is to provide students who typically would not have access to robust
STEM resources in their community the opportunity to learn about various STEM career options, as well as a
potential pathway to college.
Usually held in late October, Engineering Day is a Halloween-themed science carnival for
K-3 students where they have the opportunity to participate in hands-on science activities to gain a fun,
high-level exposure to basic STEM concepts.
Tech Day is a day-long conference for middle school girls and nonbinary students to gain more exposure to
Computer Science and technology. The day will be filled with hands-on workshops in both hardware and
software, engaging STEM and career panels, as well as ample opportunities for students to bond with each
other as well as get to know current UC Berkeley STEM students.
OHP offers female and non-binary identifying admits to the College of Engineering and Chemical Engineering
major a taste of the Berkeley Engineering experience through campus and lab tours, professor panels,
undergraduate student shadowing, peer advising, our Pen Pal program, and more!