Mentoring & Outreach

Upcoming/Recurring Events

Cambridge Science Festival- Science Carnival

 

Come volunteer at the GWISE table at the Cambridge Science Festival, to celebrate science and inspire others about STEM! You’ll help children and families look at samples through foldable paper microscopes while learning about female scientist role models. No prior experience is necessary. For more information or to volunteer, email Sarah Loshinsky (sloshin@bu.edu) with the title “Cambridge Science Festival”, and say which shift you’d like to help with (hourly slots between 12pm and 4pm, people typically volunteer 1-2 hours). Note: the event location is near the Kendall/MIT red line stop.

 

Elementary School Girls Science Club- West End House

 

Looking to take part in a regularly occurring outreach opportunity? Come volunteer with the Elementary School Girls Science Club, an outreach program developed and hosted by GWISE! We coordinate fun, hands-on activities for elementary school girls, which will convey important concepts in diverse STEM fields. Our goals are to help young girls gain a better understanding of basic scientific concepts and engineering principles, get them excited about science and engineering, and encourage them to pursue future careers in STEM fields. This is a great opportunity to be a positive STEM role model for young women!

The West End House is easily accessible from BU Charles River Campus via the 57 bus. Mentor commitment is flexible (you can volunteer for as many as you’d like). For more information or to volunteer, email Anne Li (anneli@bu.edu) with the title “Girls Science Club”.

 

WISE Mentoring Program

Applications are now open to become a GWISE mentor! Through this program, you will be given the opportunity to mentor and work with UWISE undergrads throughout the 2024-2025 school year. In the past, mentors have been able to develop their leadership and interpersonal skills, as well as get access to networking and mentorship events with GWISE alumni and industry connections. Apply here by October 4th!

 

Student Industry Connects with One8 Applied Learning Hub

  • Date and Time: February 2025, Details TBD
  • Location: TBD
  • Contact: Sarah Loshinsky, sloshin@bu.edu

One8 Applied Learning Hub’s Student Industry Connects program is a flexible volunteer opportunity to support the next generation of STEM professionals. Right now, students across Massachusetts are hard at work in their STEM classes coding apps, designing manufacturing processes, researching medical innovations, and much more. Students need our advice and guidance to help make their projects better, and to understand how they’ll use the skills they’re building in future careers. 

Here’s how we can support:

  • What: Provide written feedback on grade 5-12 students’ STEM projects online
  • Why: Getting input from “real pros” (as one student put it) helps students sharpen their technical and professional skills, and offers priceless encouragement and motivation

Student Showcase with One8 Applied Learning Hub

  • Date and Time: Friday May 9, 2025, Time TBD
  • Location: TBD
  • Contact: Sarah Loshinsky, sloshin@bu.edu

We are excited to share a volunteering opportunity at the One8 Applied Learning Hub’s Student Showcase on May 10th. 

At One8’s Student Showcase, 1,000 students from across Massachusetts (grades 5-12) will gather to share their STEM and applied learning projects with industry volunteers like you. You’ll have the opportunity to:

  • Connect students’ learning with the problems you solve every day
  • Give students feedback on their STEM and applied learning projects
  • Increase motivation, persistence, and achievement for ALL students.

Registration and information regarding the showcase will be announced soon!

National Biomechanics Day with One8 Applied Learning Hub

  • Date and Time: April 2025, Details TBD
  • Location: TBD
  • Contact: Avery Kratzer, averyk@bu.edu

National Biomechanics Day (NBD) is a worldwide celebration of biomechanics aimed to get middle and high school students interested in biomechanics. In 2024, winners of the One8 Applied Learning Hub’s Student Industry Connects competition were awarded a field trip for their entire class to visit Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences to celebrate NBD. Students in a Design & Modeling class at Leicester Middle School, who were recognized for their design of a therapeutic toy for a child with Cerebral Palsy learned the basics of biomechanics by testing in-ground force plates in the Human Adaptation Lab, making TikTok dances using marker-less motion capture in the Movement and Applied Imaging Lab, and showing off their speed on a gait carpet in the Infant Communication Lab. Over lunch, we voted on our favorite TikTok dances, and the students had the opportunity to ask questions to biomechanists, engineers, and clinicians. Reach out to assist with lab demos or chat with students over lunch

 

 

 

Past Events

Virtual Outreach During COVID-19

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, GWISE has started a virtual science outreach program for children K-5. The purpose of this program is to bring fun science-related activities to kids who may be missing school, summer camps, and interacting with their friends — all virtually in the comfort of their own homes. In addition, we hope to provide assistance to teachers and parents who may need childcare support during this stressful time.

  • If you are interested in signing up your child or classroom, please do so here or email us at gwise@bu.edu!

  • In addition, please check out a few other resources that may be of interest to families during this time:

    • Zoom Into Science program where families can sign up for sessions where a grad student/researcher will explain their scientific research in a kid-friendly way: Families can sign up here!
    • Nationwide Skype a Scientist program, where families/students are matched with a researcher who will explain their research. Sign up and additional info can be found here: https://www.skypeascientist.com
  • For graduate student volunteers: if you’re interested in volunteering to lead sessions for GWISE’s program, sign up here and check out other outreach opportunities during COVID-19 here!

Virtual Academic Tutoring During COVID-19

With the transition of Boston Public Schools and other local districts to a partially or fully virtual learning model, there are fewer chances for students to get academic help they need, and not all families can afford a private tutor. Helping to tutor a student at this critical moment can keep them engaged with STEM and excited about their learning.

  • Graduate student volunteers, sign up to become a K-12 academic tutor here!
  • Families and students, please sign up to be included in our academic tutoring program, by indicating your availability on the bottom of this form. Please note, you may also use this form to sign up for our STEM virtual outreach program above!

  • In addition, please check out this national tutoring resource below:

    • This is a nationwide resource where families can sign their kids to be matched with a college/grad school age academic mentor in a variety of subjects: http://www.coved.org/index.html