STEM role models are important in building self-confidence and a sense of belonging for current and future STEM students.

WiSTEM offers over 50 hours of in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities annually for role models in STEM to support education initiatives, including panel participation, hosting workshops on skills-building and leadership, and engaging in community outreach. Corporate employees, STEM professionals, and alumni can help advance precollege and undergraduate student participants’ sense of belonging, STEM identity, and self-efficacy, leading to increased persistence in STEM pathways. Additionally, volunteers can share their experiences and advice through video blogs, written testimonials, “top 10” tips on STEM and leadership topics, and more.

Examples of Volunteer Opportunities

Below are examples of WiSTEM volunteer opportunities shared in the monthly newsletter:

Role Model Monday Webinars – volunteers are invited to join as panelists on Mondays throughout June and July to share educational and career pathways and experiences with summer camp participants, Summer Externship participants, incoming admitted STEM undergraduate students, and current STEM undergraduate students.

• iConnect Networking and Career Skills-Building Events – volunteers join in resume reviews, mock interviews, career fair booth practice conversations, etiquette dinners, and more in the fall and spring to help build confidence in undergraduate students before on-campus career fairs
• Summer Camp “Career Conversation Luncheons” – volunteers are invited to join “Career Conversation Luncheons” during WiSTEM summer camps in June to share educational and career pathways and experiences with high school camp participants.
• Virtual Summer Academy Design Challenge – volunteers review design challenge video submissions from WiSTEM’s virtual summer academies and provide feedback and real-world connections for participating high school students.
• STEM Girl Day at UT Austin – volunteers lead hands-on activities or help with information tents and participant wayfinding; engage your Employee Resource Group or Company to participate.

Share Your Story

Share your STEM education and career pathway with our current and future STEM students. Or share tips to help our STEM students be successful.

Use our online “Share Your STEM Story” form to share:

• How you chose your STEM discipline/major/career path/company.
• Top 10 Networking Tips.
• Top 10 Tips for Writing Effective Resumes.
• Favorite STEM experience or project or job.
• and so much more!

You can also email your STEM story, bio, pictures, videos, news or any other stories to us at wistem@utexas.edu.

Any and all stories, tips, and experiences to share with our STEM students make a huge difference in their retention and persistence in their STEM journey. Thanks for joining us as a STEM role model!

#RoleModelsMatter

Volunteer with WiSTEM and Other STEM Programs

WiSTEM is partnering with the Texas Girls Collaborative Project (TxGCP), Central Texas Discover Engineering, the Greater Austin STEM Ecosystem, and other STEM networks and organizations to connect STEM Professionals with volunteer opportunities in the community.

WiSTEM is using the GivePulse platform to foster meaningful STEM volunteer connections.

Visit the Greater Austin STEM Ecosystem’s “Find STEM Volunteers | Be a STEM Volunteer” webpage to learn more.