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Other Volunteer Tasks


Be a part of our volunteer community!

Help Science Buddies With a Short-term Volunteer Project Points:
variable* 		Why it is important: By helping with one of the short-term volunteer tasks below, you contribute your time and expertise to Science Buddies and help us complete specific projects that will make our award-winning resources even more helpful to students, parents, and teachers. Every time you volunteer, you join us in our efforts to support K-12 science education!

*Each task has different points that you can earn. You will get your points after our volunteer coordinator has verified your contribution.

Instructions: The volunteer opportunities on this page encourage volunteers to help Science Buddies with a variety of projects. Some volunteer tasks require science and engineering expertise. Other volunteer opportunities involve writing, editing, photography, and graphic design. We even recognize volunteers for helping spread the word about Science Buddies in their own communities! The time required for each task varies, but most of the tasks below are designed to be relatively short-term, making it easy for busy volunteers to contribute in specific areas and in convenient blocks of time.

How it works: To express an interest in helping with one of the tasks below, please click the button next to the task. Clicking this button will send an email to our volunteer coordinator recording your interest. If you have enough information to get started, please do! Our volunteer coordinator will follow up with any additional information you may need.

Note: You only need to click the icon one time per task; our volunteer coordinator will follow up. Please note that some tasks are limited to adult volunteers and some tasks are specifically for volunteers at specific companies.

This list of short-term opportunities is updated frequently, so please stop by again!


Do This Task! Task Category Instructions Points Time Estimate
Share Science Buddies with a Teacher Communications Introduce a teacher in your community to Science Buddies! If you have family or friends with family in elementary, middle, or high school, please consider sharing Science Buddies with a local teacher. (We will provide additional requirements to interested volunteers, along with a flyer you can email the teacher.) [Note: Only 'adult' community members are eligible for this task.] 20 15 minutes
Join our Facebook Community Community Are you a Facebook user? Clicking "like" on the Science Buddies page at Facebook makes it easy to stay up-to-date with Science Buddies. As a member of our Facebook community, you will see updates about new Project Ideas, science news and history you can share with students, inspiring stories about K-12 science project success, and more. Plus, clicking "like" shows that you support and encourage science education! The more teachers, students, and parents we can introduce to Science Buddies, the more students we can potentially help each year with their science projects. [Information on signing up will be provided after you indicate interest. Points can only be earned one time.] 15 5 minutes
Suggest a new robotics Project Idea Content Development Help us brainstorm new Project Ideas! We are developing new resources and Project Ideas for the Science Buddies Robotics Interest Area. If you have expertise in this area and have an idea for a compelling robotics project aimed at younger students/lower grades, please let us know. Note: This task does not ask you to write a project. We are asking for your well-formulated ideas. Please review typical Science Buddies Project Ideas in this area of science first. Adult volunteers only. (Points awarded for submission/brainstorming. Variable points awarded if a conversation around the Project Idea suggestion develops/continues.) 25 30 minutes
Suggest a new medical biotechnology Project Idea Content Development We are developing new resources and Project Ideas for the Science Buddies Medical Biotechnology Interest Area. If you have expertise in this area and have an idea for a compelling project aimed at younger students/lower grades, please let us know. Note: This task does not ask you to write a project. We are asking for your well-formulated ideas. Please review typical Science Buddies Project Ideas in this area of science first. Adult volunteers only. (Points awarded for submission/brainstorming. Variable points awarded if a conversation around the Project Idea suggestion develops/continues.) 25 30 minutes
Follow Us at Pinterest Community Do you use Pinterest? Following Science Buddies at Pinterest makes it easy to mark and share great hands-on science projects your own circle of friends, teachers, and followers! [Information on confirming completion of the task will be provided after you indicate interest. Points can only be earned one time.] 15 5 minutes
Jour Our Twitter Community Community Are you a Twitter user? Following Science Buddies at Twitter makes it easy to stay up-to-date with Science Buddies and shows your own circle of friends and followers that you support and encourage science education! The more teachers, students, and parents we can introduce to Science Buddies, the more students we can potentially help each year with science projects. [Information on confirming completion of the task will be provided after you indicate interest. Points can only be earned one time.] 15 5 minutes
Suggest a new geology Project Idea Content Development We are developing new resources and Project Ideas for the Science Buddies Geology Interest Area. If you have expertise in this area and have an idea for a compelling idea for a science project, please let us know. Note: This task does not ask you to write a project. We are asking for your well-formulated ideas. Please review typical Science Buddies Project Ideas in this area of science first. Adult volunteers only. (Points awarded for submission/brainstorming. Variable points awarded if a conversation around the Project Idea suggestion develops/continues.) 25 30 minutes
Review a new robotics resource Editing/Review We are developing new resources and Project Ideas for the Science Buddies Robotics Interest Area. If you have expertise in this area and would be interested in reviewing and providing feedback on emerging materials, please let us know. Adult volunteers only. 75 1-2 hours
Review a new Arduino tutorial Editing/Review We are developing new resources and Project Ideas for the Science Buddies Robotics Interest Area. If you have expertise with Arduino and would be interested in reviewing and providing feedback on a new Arduino tutorial for K-12 students, please let us know. Adult volunteers only. 75 1-2 hours
Review a new resource on servo motors Editing/Review We are developing new resources and Project Ideas for the Science Buddies Robotics Interest Area. If you have expertise in this area and would be interested in reviewing and providing feedback on a new resource related to servo motors, please let us know. Adult volunteers only. 75 1-2 hours
Review a new biotechnology techniques project Editing/Review We are developing new resources and Project Ideas for the Science Buddies Biotechnology Techniques Interest Area. If you have expertise in this area and would be interested in reviewing and providing feedback on a Project Idea in development, please let us know. Adult volunteers only. 75 1-2 hours
Review a new physics Project Idea Editing/Review We are developing new resources and Project Ideas in Physics. If you have expertise in this area and would be interested in reviewing and providing feedback on a Project Idea in development, please let us know. Adult volunteers only. 75 1-2 hours
Take a photo for "Determining Iodide Content of Salt" project Photography We would like to add a photo to the "Determining Iodide Content of Salt" project. Photo should be relevant to the general concept of the Project Idea or show an important stage in the Experimental Procedure. After reading through the introductory material and reviewing the project, if a photo opportunity comes to mind, please do put your camera to work! You might know a perfect spot in your local area, or maybe you have the supplies on hand to stage a compelling photo. Please do not submit photos that potentially infringe on copyrights owned by others. (Note: Not all photos submitted will be used. Points will be credited one time for original photos submitted that fit the content of this specific project. Additional points may be credited if your photo is selected for incorporation.) 25 30 minutes
Take a photo we can use in the "Build a Better Moth Trap" project Photography We would like to add a photo to the "Build a Better Moth Trap: Will Different-colored Lights Affect How Many Moths You Catch?" project. Photo should be relevant to the general concept of the Project Idea or show an important stage in the Experimental Procedure. After reading through the introductory material and reviewing the project, if a photo opportunity comes to mind, please do put your camera to work! Please do not submit photos that potentially infringe on copyrights owned by others. (Note: Not all photos submitted will be used. Points will be credited one time for original photos submitted that fit the content of this specific project. Additional points may be credited if your photo is selected for incorporation.) 25 30 minutes
Volunteer as a Science Fair Judge Misc. Volunteer your time and expertise as a judge at a science fair. By judging, you not only support local fairs, but you reinforce to participating students that science fairs are important and exciting! Note: Science Buddies does not coordinate volunteer science fair judging opportunities, but we do award points to volunteers who judge at fairs in their area. Adult volunteers only. 250-300 8-12 hours
Create a sample application using Scratch Programming The free Scratch programming environment can jumpstart students who are interested in exploring computer programming. We have several projects that use Scratch in our directory of Project Ideas. If you have experience with Scratch and are interested in creating a sample application that demonstrates what Scratch can do, great! Please do not create a sample that fulfills the requirements, specifically, for one or our projects. Samples should be original. Our resource guide for Scratch is available here: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/scratch-intro.shtml. 100-200 2-3 hours
Take a photo for "Ocean Currents" project Photography We would like to add a photo to the "Ocean Currents: Modeling the 'Global Conveyor Belt' in Your Kitchen" project. Ideally, we would like a photo that is relevant to the general concept of the Project Idea, a photo that we can add to the introduction. (Alternately: In some cases, we might incorporate a photo taken at an important stage in the Experimental Procedure.) After reading through the introductory material and reviewing the project, if a photo opportunity comes to mind, please do put your camera to work! You might know a perfect spot in your local area, or maybe you have the supplies on hand to stage a compelling photo. Please do not submit photos that potentially infringe on copyrights owned by others. (Note: Not all photos submitted will be used. Points will be credited one time for original photos submitted that fit the content of this specific project. Additional points may be credited if your photo is selected for incorporation.) 25 30 minutes
Take a photo for "Time is Money" project Photography We would like to add a photo to the "Time is Money" project. Ideally, we would like a photo that is relevant to the general concept of the Project Idea, a photo that we can add to the introduction. (Alternately: In some cases, we might incorporate a photo taken at an important stage in the Experimental Procedure.) After reading through the introductory material and reviewing the project, if a photo opportunity comes to mind, please do put your camera to work! You might know a perfect spot in your local area, or maybe you have the supplies on hand to stage a compelling photo. Please do not submit photos that potentially infringe on copyrights owned by others. (Note: Not all photos submitted will be used. Points will be credited one time for original photos submitted that fit the content of this specific project. Additional points may be credited if your photo is selected for incorporation.) 25 30 minutes
Take a photo we can use in the "Is the Soup Ready?" project Photography We would like to add a photo to the "Is the Soup Ready? Measure How Much Water is Absorbed by Dried Beans" Project Idea. We would like a photo that is relevant to the general concept of the Project Idea (can be added to the introduction) or a photo that shows a specific step of the Experimental Procedure. After reading through the introductory material and reviewing the project, if a photo opportunity comes to mind, please put your camera to work! You might know a perfect spot in your local area, or maybe you have the supplies on hand to stage a compelling photo. Please do not submit photos that potentially infringe on copyrights owned by others, including photos that contains brand names. (Note: Not all photos submitted will be used. Points will be credited one time for original photos submitted that fit the content of this specific project.) 25 30 minutes
Take a photo we can use in the "Spinning Colors" project Photography We would like to add a photo to the "Spinning Colors: How Do Primary Colors Combine to Make New Colors?" Project Idea. We would like a photo that is relevant to the general concept of the Project Idea (can be added to the introduction) or a photo that shows a specific step of the Experimental Procedure. After reading through the introductory material and reviewing the project, if a photo opportunity comes to mind, please put your camera to work! You might know a perfect spot in your local area, or maybe you have the supplies on hand to stage a compelling photo. Please do not submit photos that potentially infringe on copyrights owned by others, including photos that contain brand names. (Note: Not all photos submitted will be used. Points will be credited one time for original photos submitted that fit the content of this specific project.) 25 30 minutes
Take a photo we can use in the "Build a Better Moth Trap" project Photography We would like to add a photo to the "Build a Better Moth Trap: Will Different-colored Lights Affect How Many Moths You Catch?" Project Idea. We would like a photo that is relevant to the general concept of the Project Idea (can be added to the introduction) or a photo that shows a specific step of the Experimental Procedure. After reading through the introductory material and reviewing the project, if a photo opportunity comes to mind, please put your camera to work! You might know a perfect spot in your local area, or maybe you have the supplies on hand to stage a compelling photo. Please do not submit photos that potentially infringe on copyrights owned by others, including photos that contain brand names. (Note: Not all photos submitted will be used. Points will be credited one time for original photos submitted that fit the content of this specific project.) 25 30 minutes
Take a photo we can use in the "How Far Will It Fly?" project Photography We would like to add a photo to the "How Far Will It Fly? Build and Test Various Paper Planes" Project Idea. We would like a photo that is relevant to the general concept of the Project Idea (can be added to the introduction) or a photo that shows a specific step of the Experimental Procedure. After reading through the introductory material and reviewing the project, if a photo opportunity comes to mind, please put your camera to work! You might know a perfect spot in your local area, or maybe you have the supplies on hand to stage a compelling photo. Make sure your photo is bright, clear, and engaging! Please do not submit photos that potentially infringe on copyrights owned by others, including photos that contain brand names. (Note: Not all photos submitted will be used. Points will be credited one time for original photos submitted that fit the content of this specific project.) 25 30 minutes
Take a photo we can use in the "Bouncy Polymer Chemistry" project Photography We would like to add a photo to the "Bouncy Polymer Chemistry" Project Idea. The submitted photo should be based on the Experimental Procedure. Make sure your photo is bright, clear, and engaging! Please do not submit photos that potentially infringe on copyrights owned by others, including photos that contain brand names. (Note: Not all photos submitted will be used. Points will be credited one time for original photos submitted that fit the content of this specific project.) 25 30 minutes
Help us find a video for "Crime Scene Chemistry" project Video We would like to integrate a relevant video in the "Crime Scene Chemistry: Determine the Identity of an Unknown Chemical Substance" project. We are looking for a quality online video that we can embed. Videos containing advertising will not be considered. 25 30 minutes
Help us find a video for "Tee Time" project Video We would like to integrate a relevant video in the "Tee Time: How Fast is Your Golf Swing?" project. We are looking for a quality online video that we can embed. Videos containing advertising will not be considered. 25 30 minutes
Help us find a video for "Biowarfare" project Video We would like to integrate a relevant video in the "Biowarfare: Experiment with Viruses that Destroy Bacteria" project. We are looking for a quality online video that we can embed. Videos containing advertising will not be considered. 25 30 minutes
Help us find a video for the "Wily Waves" project Video We would like to integrate a relevant video in the "Wily Waves: Build an Oscillating Water Column to Extract Energy from Ocean Waves" project. We are looking for a quality online video that we can embed. Videos containing advertising will not be considered. 25 30 minutes
Help us find a video for "Comparing Vocal Ranges" project Video We would like to integrate a relevant video in the "Comparing Vocal Ranges: How High and Low Can You Go?" project. We are looking for a quality online video that we can embed. Videos containing advertising will not be considered. 25 30 minutes
Guest-write a blog post on data mining Writing Introduce the concept of data mining for students in grades 5-12. What is data mining? Why does it matter? How does it tie into the kinds of data analysis that is often part of bioinformatics projects, astronomy projects, etc. For consideration, posts should be engaging, informational, accessible original, and approximately 500 words. Please do not write your piece without first expressing interest and talking about your idea with the volunteer coordinator. Note: Not all submissions will be posted on the Science Buddies blog. Submitting a guest blog piece gives Science Buddies the right to edit the material and to freely use the content in all related media. Adult volunteers only. 150 2-3 hours
Guest-write a blog post on nanotechnology Writing Nanotechnology is a hot area of science! If you are interested in authoring a guest post on nanotechnology for the Science Buddies blog to introduce nanotechnology concepts to the K-12 audience, please first find a recent relevant headline that your post might discuss. For consideration, posts should be engaging, informational, accessible, and approximately 500 words. Please do not write your piece without first expressing interest and talking about your idea with the volunteer coordinator. Note: Not all submissions will be posted on the Science Buddies blog. Submitting a guest piece gives Science Buddies the right to edit the material and to freely use the piece in all related media. Adult volunteers only. 150 2-3 hours
Guest-write a blog post on cybersecurity Writing Please note that blog contributions should be written for a K-12 audience. For consideration, posts should be engaging, informational, accessible, original, and 500 words or less. Please do not write your piece without first expressing interest and talking about your idea with the volunteer coordinator. Note: Not all submissions will be posted on the Science Buddies blog. Submitting a guest blog piece gives Science Buddies the right to edit the material and to freely use the content in all related media. Adult volunteers only. 150 2-3 hours

Note: For submissions of graphic design, photographic, or other original elements, volunteers may be asked to sign a release form acknowledging that the design is original and transferring usage rights to Science Buddies.