UChicago Outreach

Below is a sample of existing outreach programs associated with the university that are always looking for graduate student volunteers. If you are interested in any of these programs, please check out the Broader Impacts Fair site for more information and the person to contact to get more involved!

  • Artifice
    • Non-profit organization founded by UChicago graduate students working with local schools to host afterschool programs in electronics, robotics, and programing.
    • Volunteers can help run the after school programs, online homework and tutoring, improving and updating social media and web presence, and developing new curriculum!
  • Argonne
    • National Laboratory that runs coding and STEM events, career days, and virtual panels.
    • Volunteers can help with ACT-SO as mentors, help run panel sessions, speak at career days, and run workshops!
  • Carole Robertson Center for Learning
    • Non-profit in north west Chicago focusing at the moment on low income students with parents who are essential workers and managing remote learning.
    • Volunteers can help with math homework, lead STEM activities, and analyze program quality data!
  • Expanding your Horizons
    • Non-profit that works to increase representation of diverse women in STEM through large events exposing middle-school age girls to STEM experiences
    • Volunteers can help organize events, volunteer during events, fundraise, increase social media presence, and recruit workshop leaders!
  • Fermilab
    • National lab that works to share enthusiasm and knowledge about STEM, from all careers, by running interactive workshops for students and holding career Expos and family open houses.
    • Volunteers can help by giving presentations about research, organizing events, and speaking at the STEM career Expo!
  • Girls Who Code
    • A club of Girls Who Code, which focuses on closing the gender cap in programming, was formed by the Toyota Technical Institute of Chicago at 51st and Kenwood.
    • Volunteers can help by being facilitators to lead GWC clubs here!
  • Homewood Science
    • A neighborhood science center in the suburbs of Chicago hoping to inspire interest in STEM through events and take-home science experiments especially focused at low-income female minority high school students.
    • Volunteers can present STEM topics, develop take-home science kits, and serve as mentors!
  • ISTI Mentoring
    • Non-profit Illinois Science & Technology Institute that connects high school students to mentors who help connect STEM learned in the high school classroom to research and future careers.
    • Volunteers can help through the Mentor Matching Engine which pairs high school students with mentors to work on student-driven research projects!
  • Neighborhood Schools Program
    • One of UChicago’s longest-standing community outreach programs organized by the Office of Civic Engagement that provides tutors to students at over 50 sites on Chicago’s South Side.
    • Volunteers can be tutors, teaching assistants, administrative interns, or create after-school initiatives at these sites!
  • Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science
    • SACNAS supports inclusivity, advancement, and opportunity for students underrepresented STEM through personal and professional development workshops and panels.
    • Volunteers can work as event coordinators, mentors, or media specialists!
  • Splash! Chicago
    • Free classes are offered to high school students  in Chicago on a wide range of topics from introductory quantum to cinema paradoxes in probability to increase interest and knowledge about STEM!
    • Volunteers can work as teachers who lead a class on research or hobby of their interest, or as board members to plan events, expand outreach, and recruit teachers!
  • STRIVE
    • Free tutoring and mentoring to Chicago youth on the south side at 50th and Ellis that focuses on supporting the child as a whole rather than tutoring on a specific subject.
    • Volunteers can work as mentors to youth from 3rd to 12th grade one-on-one or in small group sessions!
  • Tutoring Chicago
    • Non-profit organization providing free weekly tutoring to economically disadvantaged students from 1st through 6th grade.
    • Volunteers can be tutors paired one-on-one to support the student in all subjects throughout Chicago!
  • UChicago Science Policy RSO
    • A student organization formed by graduate students focusing on informing and engaging students on how science research impacts society and implementation of public policy.
    • Volunteers can create internal workshops, plan external events, engaged in science policy advocacy with elected officials, and work with non-profits!
  • University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center
    • UCCCC focuses on cancer education and training for high school and college students for populations underrepresented in the sciences to raise awareness of biomedical research and careers.
    • Volunteers can work as peer mentors, panelists, and work shop facilitators!
  • University of Chicago Materials Research Center
    • MRSEC focuses on sharing interdisciplinary materials research from biological matter to solid state engineering and run after-school programs to help foster relationships between students and scientific inquiry.
    • Volunteers can work on planning and facilitating after-school science clubs, run summer programs, and help CPS teachers with lessons!
  • University of Chicago Office of Special Programs
    • One of UChicago’s Civic Engagement programs providing 1st generation underrepresented CPS students with support to help them through post-secondary education and career success through academic advising, workshops, career discovery, and executive skills.
    • Volunteers can work as instructors, teaching assistants and tutors in a large range of classes from english language arts to mathematics and AP course work for high school students!