Are you a scientist* & want to get involved in science outreach? Here is a list of few ways!
*A scientist is anyone who does science. You could be a high school student on a science olympiad team or an undergraduate working in a lab or a person with a backyard full of bottle rockets. You can get involved!
-- Also note that almost all of these organizations have ways for trainees/mentees/students to participate (receive the mentorship, education, or opportunities) in these programs.
I am ACTIVELY seeking scientists to help put together Virtual Itty Projects for my VASE students.
Virtual Itty Projects:
If you find yourself wanting to mentor a student but not having enough time to take on a student of your own, a VIP is perfect for you! These projects should be <a few hours of work for you, and a few hours of work for a student (or a small group of students).
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You will teach them about your research topic, show them some data, and teach them how to analyze those data.
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They will work independently and send you their results (~ a few hours of their time).
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Students will get hands-on experience working with data, learn a new field of science, and network with a brilliant scientist!
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You will get experience mentoring without a huge investment of your time and [hopefully] get some work done for you!
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Fill out this form to tell me about your ideas for a Virtual Itty Project
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Past projects include: fluorescence microscopy analysis and microbiome data analysis
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Nationwide Efforts:
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Skype a Scientist: https://www.skypeascientist.com/
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Sign up to virtually visit classrooms across the country!
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Science Olympiad (all over the country) https://www.soinc.org/
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Coach a team of grade-school students, or write tests, or proctor exams.
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GSMI: Graduate Student Mentor Initiative https://www.cientificolatino.com/gsmi
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Get partnered with a student applying for graduate school to provide insight into the application process.
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NSURP: National Summer Undergraduate Research Program https://nsurp.org/
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Get partnered with an undergraduate to do virtual mentoring over the course of the summer.
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San Diego, CA:
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SciREN-San Diego: https://sciren.org/networking-events/sciren-san-diego/
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we train researchers to write lesson plans about their cutting edge research while also addressing Next Generation Science Standards for teachers in San Diego, CA.
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Check out our lesson plans on scirenplans.com + sign up for more information on the link above.
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BUMMP: Biology Undergraduate and Master's Mentorship Program https://www.bummpucsd.org/
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only for UCSD affiliated students/mentors, partners graduate students&postdocs with undergraduates&masters students from identities historically underrepresented in STEM.
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LXS: League of Extraordinary Scientists + Engineers https://science-ing.org/programs/
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A quirky group of scientists who demand equity in education. With this group, you can present science at local libraries, the county fair, local schools, bars, and field trips.
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San Diego STEM Ecosystem https://stemecosystems.org/ecosystem/san-diego-ecosystem/
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A great place to get started in San Diego STEM outreach. Connects various community projects to enhance STEM education and scientific literacy.
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Salk Education Outreach https://www.salk.edu/about/education-outreach/
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Offers programs like virtual chats with a scientist, summer mentoring opportunities, and mobile/virtual labs visits for K-12 classrooms. Mostly for Salk scientists to participate, but open to other San Diego-based scientists for many of these opportunities.
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North Carolina
(I used to live in the Triangle area of NC so here are my suggestions for that area)
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WAM: Women and Math (https://www.womenandmathmentoring.org/)
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you get matched with two ~8th grade girls to be a mentor during the school year
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SciREN: Scientific Research Education Network (https://sciren.org/)
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Learn how to write lesson plans about your research and then provide those lesson plans to local K-12 teachers. There are chapters in multiple locations now!
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BOOST (https://sites.duke.edu/boost/about-boost/)
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based at Duke, this group encourages young students of color to be engaged in Science and Technology.
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Science Olympiad (https://www.scienceolympiad2020.com/nc-science-olympiad/)
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This is a great program that operates across the US, but the one in NC is top-notch. You can be involved by writing tests for local competitions, proctoring exams, or even being a team's coach.
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Durham Museum of Life and Science https://www.lifeandscience.org/volunteer
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NC Museum of Natural Sciences https://naturalsciences.org/support/volunteer-opportunities#nrc