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MassBioEd joins forces to reach into middle schools

December 1, 2009

Wanted: 100 enthusiastic professionals from the life sciences industry willing to share their passion for science, technology, engineering and math with eager 6^th graders. The reward? Making a difference in the students’ lives and strengthening the industry in Massachusetts for years to come.

 

That’s the call to action from the MassBioEd Foundation and the new STEMTech Alliance, a unique coalition of six Massachusetts science and technology associations representing over 1,500 companies and 300,000 people who work in software, Internet, telecommunications, biotechnology, medical devices, engineering and clean energy.

 

The alliance was created in response to recent figures that show Massachusetts students are less interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers than their counterparts around the country. The percentage of American high school students who noted on their SATs that they are interested in pursuing majors in STEM is 28%.

 

To address these startling trends, the Alliance has developed the DIGITS program, which is specifically geared towards 6^th grade students and building interest in STEM careers.

 

 The program begins with an in-class lesson featuring an interactive worksheet with colorful stickers of the numbers 0-9 and the letters A-Z. Each sticker features a different STEM-related icon, like a test tube or a solar panel. Students use the letters of their first name and the digits of their age to fill in the worksheet and think about STEM careers.

 

Following that exercise, STEM ambassadors go into each classroom and talk to students about their careers in STEM fields. All the STEM ambassadors are volunteers from various STEM industries who believe in the need to reach students early and often.

 

“STEM companies are worried about where the future workforce will come from,” said Susan Moulton, project manager for the DIGITS program. “They know they have to start further down in age than high school and college.”

 

The MassBioEd Foundation is looking to recruit more ambassadors for the program, seeking the help of at least 10 volunteers from 10 different companies, for a total of 100 biotech ambassadors throughout Massachusetts. Each volunteer should be 5-10 years out of college or grad school, enthusiastic about their work, comfortable speaking in public, and able to relate to children.

 

“Talking to high school students about their college decisions and their career paths is not, on its own, enough to solve the issue of a dwindling STEM workforce pipeline,” said Suzanne Grillo, manager of outreach programs at MassBioEd. “We need to get younger kids excited about their options early on, and bringing ambassadors into classrooms has proven to be a very effective way to do that.”

 

STEM Volunteers are asked to visit schools by regions within Massachusetts. Volunteers are needed in Greater Boston for January and February 2010, Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod for March, and Pioneer Valley and the Berkshires for April. If you’re interested in becoming a STEM Ambassador, visit the DIGITS website, www.digits.us.com, to sign up.

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