Volunteer Opportunity
STEM Ambassadors in Worcester Public Middle Schools

STEM Central: A STEM Career Awareness Campaign
A Project of the Central MA STEM Network

Wanted
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals and college students in STEM majors interested in encouraging middle school students to consider careers using science, technology, engineering and mathematics and in sharing the pathway you followed to your current position.

Project Overview
As a member of Central Massachusetts STEM Network, the University of Massachusetts Medical School is the lead partner in a three year grant from the STEM Pipeline Fund to design and implement a multi-faceted STEM Career Awareness Campaign called STEM Central. Goals are to increase awareness of STEM careers and the corresponding career pathways to the 21st Century STEM workforce. The major target of the campaign is middle school students.

Timeline: March-May, 2-4 pm after school, single or multiple visits

Expectations of a Worcester STEM Ambassador
• Complete a CORI form. They are required of everyone working with students.

• Part 1: Meet students in groups of 6-10 in an existing afterschool program starting in March. Students will interview you to learn about your career pathway, likes and dislikes as a middle school student, how you became interested in a STEM career/major, what a day in your job is like, what you like best about your job, etc. Bringing tools of your trade would be interesting for the students. The students then will write up the STEM career stories for dissemination. We can provide questions ahead of time to you.
And/Or
• Part 2: In a second set of visits (April/May) help students create peer-friendly messages about STEM careers. These messages will be as creative as the students can imagine and design. The formats may be games like “What’s my Line?, videos, trading cards, comic books, quizzes, flyers, etc. The idea is that the students will have the creative idea, but may need additional career content from the STEM Ambassadors and help with the actual final product. (Again, the time would be afterschool between 2-4PM over several afternoons.)

For more information, please contact Sandy Mayrand, Director, Central MA STEM Network at 508 856-5097 or Sandra.Mayrand@umassmed.edu


Specific days and times for STEM Ambassador visits
School Day Time
Burncoat Middle Thursday 2-3pm
Worcester East Middle Thursday (Tuesday possible too) 2:10-3:10pm
Forest Grove Thursday 3:15-4:15pm
Claremont Academy Wednesday 2:20-3:20pm
Sullivan Middle Wednesday 3:15-4:15pm