Below you will find the current list of STEM outreach opportunities. I hope you will consider joining the 150 plus STEM Ambassadors who have shared their skills and passion for STEM with the students in our region this year.
If any of these opportunities work for you simply email Tom Gralinski, tgralins@smith.edu and let him know which activity and day and he will follow up to organize a planning meeting or with an email on the details.
We are recruiting for a new initiative with the McMahon School in Holyoke. We are hoping to create a math support team with the 6th grade and 5th, 7th and 8th if we have enough interest. Total commitment would be from 8:30 to 11. This is a pilot that we are hoping to run for 4-6 weeks. The program could run on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday. Let us know which day would work for you. If interested or if you have questions please reply to Tom Gralinski, tgralins@smith.edu or Hunter King, stemvista@smith.edu
Friday, March 24th, @ Homework House in Holyoke 3:30 to 5:30. First of three sessions exploring engineering. We will start with balloon powered cars. We should leave shortly after 3 and should return about 6.
Tuesday, April 4th, HCC-Adult Learning Center 6:00 – 8:00 @ Smith. We will be introducing food webs and energy with an Owl Dissection activity. We need 2-3 volunteers to lead or assist with the group of motivated adults working towards their high school equivalency (now called High Set). With this particular group it is very helpful to have a Spanish speaker but it is not required or expected.
Thursday, April 6th, Engineering students from Smith Vocational Agriculture High School (Northampton) about 9 to 1. Program still being worked out but we need volunteers to give a Science and Engineering tour and maybe lead an activity.
Friday, April 7th, @ Homework House in Holyoke 3:30 to 5:30. 3rd of three sessions exploring engineering. I am leaning towards using a water wheel design and build activity but the focus is open for the volunteers to decide on. We should leave shortly after 3 and should return about 6.
Thursday, April 13th @ Smith with Veritas Prep for Springfield 6th grade classes. We will run sessions at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:45. Each session will last about 45 min.
This is likely to be an engineering design and build activity.
Tuesday, April 25th @ Smith. Hampshire Regional Schools 8th grade will visit for the day with sessions starting at 9, 10:15, 12:15. We need 2-3 volunteers for each 60 min. session. We are trying to work out a program involving zebrafish with the group. You do not need to be involved with zebrafish to be involved in this visit, we need assistance with the session, especially with basic microscopy. If you have worked with zebrafish you likely have the background to lead the activity.
Monday and Tuesday, May 8th & 9th The Literacy Project, Northampton site. We have been asked to bring our water wheel activity to cover the engineering design process and some basics of energy transfer to this group of 11 – 12 adult learners. They are also studying the history of water wheels here in New England. We would work with the group from 9:30 to just before Noon both days. A lot of this is guiding the student groups through designing and building a basic water wheel and then testing and revising their design. Volunteers can do either day and do not need to stay the entire block. This site is in downtown Northampton so it is walkable but we will have transportation to get the kit to the site.
For more information and outreach opportunities: Center for Community Collaboration