Undergraduate students at UC Berkeley’s School of Education (BSE) are engaged in coursework and fieldwork experiences to advance their understanding of how people learn and how to design learning environments, supportive policies, and community contexts in which learning can successfully unfold. The BSE undergraduate programs focus on all of the myriad contexts that learning and education happens, not only in schools but also in families, communities, and organizations.
The Berkeley School of Education is eager to partner if you have meaningful volunteer roles where students can actively engage with youth through mentoring, program leadership and facilitation, or other hands-on activities.
Partnership Framework
BSE course offerings provide potential partnership opportunities, depending upon your program’s alignment with the course’s timeline (Fall, Spring, Summer sessions), available volunteer hours (21-105 hours per semester), and opportunities for collaboration and engagement with program participants.
To ensure a successful collaboration, the BSE asks for partners to provide:
Program Information
- Clear overview of how many volunteers you would like to support your program and the minimum number of hours they can volunteer in a semester
- Brief site description and website link to help BSE students get to know more about your program and the specific volunteer opportunities and activities that are available
Designated Field Site Coordinator
- Serve as the point of contact for faculty members, graduate student instructors, and undergraduate volunteers
- Share required onboarding process with course faculty and support undergraduate volunteers through process (e.g., background checks, orientations, health requirements)
- Create volunteer schedules & coordinate with undergraduate volunteers
- Sign-off on student volunteer hours (form provided)
Documentation & Feedback
- Feedback on how UC Berkeley volunteers can better support your programs and participants
- In some cases, provide aggregated (not individual) demographic / descriptive data for youth program participants (form provided)
UC Berkeley faculty also welcome your active participation in the orientation of UC Berkeley students conducted either during the university course and/or at your program site.
Shared Learning Community
University learning is enriched by community wisdom, and community programs are strengthened by student engagement and university resources. We want UC Berkeley students to connect their academic study with meaningful community work, allowing them to develop their skills while contributing to educational systems in and beyond traditional classrooms. UC Berkeley also invites any potential collaboration opportunities for research or professional development that can benefit your program.
Fieldwork Requirements Across Courses
Fieldwork Requirements Across Courses
UC Berkeley undergraduate students complete hands-on fieldwork as part of their academic requirements through several course options:
- EDUC 140AC/W140A - Language and Literacy in a Global World: 4-unit class offered fall, spring, and summer. Undergraduates study student literacy practices in action and must complete 30 hours of field work per semester.
- EDUC 130 - Knowing and Learning in Math and Science: 3-unit class offered fall and spring. Undergraduates learn to teach math and complete 21 hours of tutoring at predetermined school sites.
- EDUC W144 - Practicum in Education: Variable unit course (1-3 units) offered fall, spring, and summer. Undergraduates suggest their own research projects and must complete between 21-105 hours of fieldwork per semester.
- EDUC C181 - What is the Role of Race in Urban Schools? 3 unit course offered in the fall. Undergraduates work in afterschool programs with local school partners.
- EDUC 187 - Teachers of Color in the U.S.: 4-unit class offered in spring. Undergraduates study the importance of diversifying the ethnoracial composition of the teacher workforce and must complete 30 hours of fieldwork per semester.
For many courses, students complete written reflections based on their fieldwork and explore a research question related to their time volunteering. These fieldwork opportunities are meant to develop UC Berkeley students as both practitioners and researchers, meaning they:
- Actively engage with young people
- Build authentic relationships while supporting learning and development
- Apply course concepts in real-world settings, connecting theory to practice
- Reflect on their experiences through structured coursework