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.
January 2026
A new year is upon us. We hope everyone had a restful break and has started the new year feeling rejuvenated. This week has been one of a lot of emotions, with January 7 and 8 marking one year since the Eaton Fire burned many local homes, businesses, places of worship and landmarks. We hope all of our Caltech community members who have been displaced by the fires are feeling the love and support of their friends and colleagues. We also had the announcement of Caltech's 10th president, Ray Jayawardhana, who started his speech with a story about growing up in Sri Lanka and receiving from JPL a lookbook that inspired him to pursue astrophysics. Educational outreach makes a difference in someone's life every day! Keep reading for some chances to make a difference in a local young person's life this month! Graduate student Isaac Aguilar talks rocks at the Washington Park native plant and soil event on December 6 in Pasadena.
Science Night Season is Here!
Caltech Outreach has put a number of community science events on our calendar over the next few months, hosted by local elementary, middle and high schools, as well as science organizations like City of STEM. We are seeking Caltech volunteers to present family-friendly hands-on STEM activities! They can be activities you bring with you, or you can borrow one of the many we have, from all disciplines. Reach out to Kitty Cahalan at [email protected] if you want a tour of our demo closet or have a demo you'd like to do but need the materials for it.
See schedule and sign up for events here: https://www.volunteersignup.org/8M7FR - bookmark this page, as we update it frequently!
The week of the event, we reach out to everyone signed up to help coordinate materials and rides to the site. We also feed you lunch or dinner if the event is over a meal time!
Judges Needed for Sierra Madre Middle School Science Fair
Sierra Madre Middle School is having its science fair on January 27 and 28. They are seeking judges to come sometime between the hours of 8:15 and 3:05. Please contact Karen Jain at [email protected] if interested.
Seeking Lab Tour Hosts
We are still seeking some lab tour hosts for a group of high school bio and physics students coming on January 28 - the commitment will be for two 20-minute tours of 15 people each sometime between 10 am and noon.
We are also seeking hosts from any discipline for a group of 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].
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].
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].