A child’s opportunity to explore science should not depend on access to a university laboratory. Yet bringing hands-on research into middle school classrooms requires equipment, expertise and sustained support. As science shapes everyday decisions about health and the environment, giving young people opportunities to investigate, question and understand evidence matters.
Since 2022, UCI BioEYES has brought that possibility to more than 1,100 middle school students in Santa Ana. Administered by UC Irvine’s Department of Developmental & Cell Biology, the program is led and taught primarily by graduate student volunteers who bring live zebrafish and a week of discovery directly into classrooms.
Now, a peer-reviewed paper published in the journal Zebrafish describes how the program works and offers other institutions a practical framework for building similar partnerships. Its central idea is straightforward: connect university resources, graduate student enthusiasm and teachers’ expertise to make meaningful science experiences easier to sustain.
At El Sol, a dual-language school in Santa Ana, seventh and eighth graders become investigators. Using classroom microscopes, they watch developing fish, observe heartbeats and movement, record findings and test their predictions. Students also use smartphones to photograph the tiny fish, turning a familiar device into a tool for scientific observation.
Seventh graders investigate how temperature affects development, then connect their observations to broader questions about environmental change. Eighth graders explore how traits pass from parents to offspring by comparing fish with different pigmentation. Across both lessons, students practice asking questions, gathering evidence and explaining what their results mean.
Accessibility is built into the approach. Worksheets are available in English and Spanish, and instructor teams typically include a fluent Spanish speaker. University faculty, graduate students and classroom teachers develop lessons together, ensuring the activities fit existing science instruction and can be revisited after the university volunteers leave.
To evaluate the program, the researchers gathered reflections from two participating teachers and surveyed all 24 graduate student instructors who volunteered over four years. Teachers described sustained student engagement, greater confidence interacting with scientists and the value of meeting graduate students from diverse backgrounds. Their feedback suggests that personal connections can help students picture themselves in science.
The benefits extend to the volunteers. Most identified improved teaching skills as a major gain, and volunteers also reported stronger science communication skills and personal fulfillment. Explaining biology to younger learners encouraged them to simplify language, adapt lessons and make their research more understandable to people outside their field.
The model relies on shared university fish facilities, standard classroom equipment and reusable materials, reducing the need for dedicated outreach staff. The authors have made lesson plans, slides and worksheets available for others to adapt. This offers a path for universities seeking to broaden access while helping train scientists who communicate effectively. The next step is to build on that foundation. Further research could examine lasting effects on students’ learning and interest in science. Educators, university leaders, community supporters and policymakers can help sustain partnerships and expand access to hands-on learning — giving more children opportunities to discover what science can mean for