Join SciTrek Secondary as a Classroom Mentor!

We are now recruiting volunteers for the 2025-26 academic year in 7th-12th grade classrooms! See any of our Sign-Up links below.

Who We Need:

Classroom Mentors (UCSB Undergraduates Ages 17-25)
Inspire middle schoolers through hands-on STEM mentorship as a near-peer guide.

Perks:

Earn UCSB course credit

CHEM 94 SciTrek: is a pass/no pass class, similar to freshman seminar INT course, that offers one unit of credit for working with the SciTrek program.

Requirements for earning CHEM 94 credit with the Secondary Program:

Complete two Junior High modules or one High School modules (or equivalent with the Elementary SciTrek Program) during the quarter.
- Dates and times can be found on the Secondary Schedules page.

CHEM 194 Teaching, Mentoring, or Research in K-12 Stem Education: is a pass/no pass class that offers one unit of credit for working with the SciTrek program.

Requirements for earning CHEM 194 credit with the Secondary Program:

Complete four Junior High modules or two High School modules (or equivalent with the Elementary SciTrek Program) during the quarter.
- Dates and times can be found on the Secondary Schedules page.
Click here for full course requirements.

Grade Note for CHEM 94/194: If you miss more than two days (of Modules or Orientations), you will get a no pass. For each missed Module day, you will need to complete 1.5 hours of Behind The Scenes work within one week of the missed day. If you missed the Orientation, you MUST schedule an alternate orientation time to be trained (email chem-scitrekmanager@ucsb.edu) before the start of the Module, AND complete 1 hour of Behind The Scenes work. You will not be allowed to go to the Module until you complete an orientation. Missing a day due to not completing an Orientation will count towards your missed days and will need to be made up.

HOW TO ENROLL:

Contact chem-scitrekmanager@ucsb.edu for further instructions on how to receive course credit for SciTrek Secondary hours, including an approval code and to discuss your plan to meet course hour requirements.

DEADLINE TO ENROLL:

Winter 2026: Add class by 1/26/26

Spring 2026: Add class by 4/17/26

Receive Pre-Professional Hours

Receive pre-professional hours for career paths in education or a relevant field via the Field Placement Hours Verification Form. More information is available here.
- Can be combined with course credit

...and more!

Build your resume with valuable experience in STEM education
Transportation is provided to all schools
Connect with peers interested in teaching, STEM, and community service
Earn volunteer hours for non-course commitments (e.g., Honors College, fraternities, sororities)
- Cannot be combined with course credit

Commitment:

One SciTrek Secondary Module shift in Fall Quarter requires:

A two-hour Orientation
- Learn the science experiment and key concepts you'll be teaching
- Develop strategies for engaging effectively with adolescents in classrooms
Two classroom visits (2-3 hours per day)
- Shift times include travel time – transportation is provided from the Chemistry building to the schools
- You'll work with a team of SciTrek Mentors and a SciTrek Lead, who will support you on-site and handle transportation

Ready to make an impact? Sign up below!