Outreach Opportunity Alerts
Outreach Opportunity Alerts connect members of the Caltech community with educational outreach opportunities in the Pasadena community and beyond for which they can volunteer. They are published monthly.
To join the newsletter mailing list for Outreach Opportunity Alerts, members of the Caltech community can sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/caltech/caltech-outreach-opportunity-alert-signup or email Kitty Cahalan, [email protected]. Please give Kitty your name, email address, Caltech affiliation (undergraduate, graduate student, postdoc, faculty or staff) and department, option or research group.
December 2025
Ten weeks have gone by in a flash and we're closing in on winter break already! November was busy for CTLO, with several school group tours, our first science night of the year, and a great Science Journeys talk (put on by Caltech Events) by aero graduate student Alejandro Stefan Zavala, an event which included a pre-show on Beckman Mall with lots of STEM activities for the families to partake in. We're already looking forward to 2026, when the science night events really get going. We hope we'll see you taking advantage of one of the opportunities below!
Washington Park Community Planting Day
In collaboration with UC Master Gardener Program and UC ANR Research and Extension Center, Caltech has been invited to do STEM-related activities for kids and adults at
Washington Park in Pasadena on Saturday, December 6 from 11 am - 4 pm as part of a community planting day in celebration of the monarch butterfly. Anyone who'd like to join us to present anything related to nature, soil, plants, insects, environmental remediation after urban wildfires or other relevant material, please sign up here: https://www.volunteersignup.org/8M7FR or email Kitty Cahalan at [email protected].
Science Night Season is Coming!
Science Nights for 2025-26 kicked off in November at Broadoaks Elementary in Monrovia, where six groups put on demonstrations in chemistry, life science, astronomy and geology. There's much more fun to be had after winter break, when the season really gets going! If you think you'd enjoy being around local families to talk about your work or your interests, or if you are interested in getting to know the Pasadena and surrounding communities a little better, science nights are for you! We can even loan you a demonstration if you don't have one of your own.
See schedule and sign up for events here: https://www.volunteersignup.org/8M7FR - bookmark this page, as we update it frequently! Reach out to Kitty Cahalan - [email protected] - if you have questions.
Be A Judge for PUSD Science Fair
Pasadena Unified School District is gearing up for the annual Innovation Exposition, PUSD's alternative to the science fair. The Innovation Exposition will take place this winter at Blair High School on December 5, 2025.
The participating 4th-8th grade students benefit from receiving feedback from an authentic audience. They are looking for diverse judges from STEM fields to donate 2-3 hours of their time on the morning of the event to listen to student presentations in the following categories:
3D Printing
Reverse Engineering
Science Fiction Writing
Scientific Inquiry
Invention
Environmental Innovation
Please sign up to judge using this form.
La Canada Elementary STEAM Week
La Cañada Elementary School will be holding its STEAM week March 9-13, 2026. They are seeking speakers to come in on one day that week - day to be determined by speaker and the school - to do a 20-minute talk about your science to two classrooms (i.e. you will give your talk twice). If you are interested in participating, please email Kitty Cahalan at [email protected].
Seeking Lab Tour Hosts
We are seeking students or postdocs who are willing to give us tours of your research spaces for one of the following tour groups coming after winter break:
- High school bio and physics students coming on January 28
- PCC MESA club students coming on winter/spring date(s) to be determined
If you are interested in showing off your work in the place where you do it, please contact Kitty Cahalan at [email protected].
Local Schools and Orgs Looking for Caltech Volunteers
The following are seeking Caltech volunteers for support with their efforts:
Village Christian School in Sun Valley is seeking speakers for their fourth grade class - contact Principal Jeff Maljian at [email protected]
Neighbors Empowering Youth FIRST Robotics Team 2404 needs coaches - contact Chris Sulzbach at [email protected].
Sierra Madre Middle School FTC Robotics and VEX IQ teams needs coaches - contact Ravi Dev at [email protected].
Polytechnic School Science Olympiad team needs coaches- contact Raman Mander at [email protected].
Altadena Library Fabrication Lab (FabLab) needs mentors - contact Amish at [email protected]STEM
Education and Outreach Club
Undergrads and grad students are invited to join a club starting its second year that will bring hands-on activities to local school and family science events, and coordinate with other campus clubs on outreach goals.
Contact club president Jessica Gonzalez ([email protected]) or sign up here.
Tutor Veterans at PCC
Are you passionate about education and looking for a way to give back to those who have served our country? The Veterans Resource Center (VRC) at Pasadena City College (PCC) is seeking dedicated volunteers to tutor student veterans, helping them succeed in their academic pursuits and transition to civilian life. Since 2010, the VRC has partnered with Caltech to offer free tutoring services to Veterans at PCC, primarily in STEM subjects.
If you're interested in volunteering or would like more information, please reach out to Lisa, the Veterans Center Specialist, at 626.585.7561.
We Don't Just Do STEM Outreach!
We know that Caltech has people doing their studies and research in areas that are not considered STEM fields, and we'd love to have those of you this applies to do outreach, too! We also know all our students, staff and faculty have many other talents - are you an artist, photographer, writer, actor, dancer, athlete, musician? Do you have a hobby you'd like to share with people in our community? We can do outreach with that, too!
Please let Kitty Cahalan ([email protected]) know if you're interested!
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Caltech Educational Outreach Office's programs run on volunteers! If you would like to join any of our programs, or if you have a program of your own that you'd like to bring to K-12 students, contact Kitty Cahalan, Assistant Director of Educational Outreach, at 626-395-2468 or [email protected].