Are you looking for ways to boost your engineering career, whilst also giving back to your community and inspiring the next generation of engineers? Volunteering as a STEM ambassador is an incredible way to achieve all three of these goals!
In this article I will explain what a STEM ambassador is, five key benefits to volunteering and finally I will share details on how to join the program (when I’ve managed to convince you to sign up!). Hopefully this will give a great insight into the STEM Ambassador programme, which I have been a part of since I joined JCB back in 2015. This year I received my 50 hours of volunteering certificate, which I am very proud of.
As a disclaimer for my readers outside of the UK, this is heavily focussed on the British initiative as this is where my personal experience lies, but there will be comparable schemes that are running in other countries. If you are a part of these programmes I would love to hear about how they are run and what you do, so please share your experiences with me!
What is a STEM Ambassador?
I will start right from the beginning, as I’m sure some of you may not have heard of the term ‘STEM Ambassador’. It is as simple as it sounds – someone who is an ambassador for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). These are people who are aged 17+ from a wide range of STEM-related industries, and are at any stage in their career.
There are a huge range of activities and initiatives which are supported by STEM ambassadors, from practical workshops and hosting workplace visits, to mentoring and delivering careers talks. This wide variety of requests from schools and groups means that there are activities to suit all experiences and personalities, so you will never find it difficult to identify a request you would like to support.
The focus has shifted over the last 12 months with the Covid-19 pandemic, to deliver a significant proportion of activities remotely. Personally in this time I have been a part of online careers talks, online mentoring and creating profiles for teachers to share with their students. This shift has been brilliant to keep children engaged with STEM whilst their education has been disrupted, but has also shown another way the programme can expand to deliver even more variety once the world opens back up again!
There are currently 33,000 active STEM ambassadors in the UK who rack up 640,000 hours of volunteering every year! Can you imagine the impact this programme is having on young people, who are being given an insight into the amazing world of STEM careers and where this can take them in their lives.
Data from STEM Learning https://www.stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors/join-stem-ambassador-programme
Who Runs the Programme?
The STEM ambassador programme is run by STEM Learning, in collaboration with the UK Government. They support both the ambassadors and schools, which means that the whole programme is run and co-ordinated very well. They have STEM Local Hubs which support you primarily as an ambassador, sending through local requests or contact specific volunteers if they need a particular skill set.
They also support you with training and events for ambassadors, including annual awards ceremonies honouring exceptional volunteering.
You can read more about STEM Learning and their commitment to providing this free service to schools across the UK on the following page: https://www.stem.org.uk/about
What Commitment is Required?
This is where I can honestly say that there is no excuse…it is free to become a STEM ambassador and your DBS check will be completed as part of your application. All that is asked of you in return is supporting one event per year. I understand that we all lead busy lives, but honestly even just having the time to support the minimum of one request per year will make a difference.
There is no pressure from the programme to accept any requests – it is in your control what you offer to support. You won’t sign up and then be inundated every day with requests for support – you have to actively seek out the volunteering opportunities on the activities board. Once you get more established you may be approached for particular requests, but there is no pressure for you to accept these requests. It is very much on your terms, which is why I think the programme works so well.
5 Benefits of Volunteering as a STEM Ambassador:
Now you have more background as to what a STEM ambassador is and how the programme works, I am going to share my top five benefits of giving up some of your spare time to volunteer.
#1 – Inspire the next generation of engineers
This is arguably the most important reason and benefit of becoming a STEM ambassador. By supporting activities you are showcasing STEM careers, but are also a ‘real person’ that the children can speak to and find out what your story is…it’s so much more effective hearing from someone who has travelled that path. Not everyone has a role model in their family or school who sparks an inspiration in them for what they want to do with their lives – you may well be that person when you spend time sharing your story with others.
#2 – Giving back to your schools and local community
If you think about your time at school, I’m sure there was a particular teacher or subject which really captured your imagination. This might have led you down the pathway of the career you’ve chosen, or maybe opened your eyes to other possibilities. If you’ve had a positive experience then it’s great to give something back to those places, by returning as a STEM ambassador and delivering an assembly to the students, for example. By giving your time to your community you are raising aspirations and developing strong ties between the company you are representing and the local community.
#3 – Improve your presentation and communication skills
This is a huge personal benefit to volunteering and something that will be advantageous to boosting your own career. Personally I have had huge confidence gains from volunteering – delivering presentations to a classroom full of children and fielding all kinds of questions this prompts! I am much more confident delivering video content since I have been asked to produce this kind of resource for schools over the pandemic. These skills are something that I use every day in my role as an engineer, and I can honestly say I’ve seen huge personal development through my volunteering.
#4 – Great for CPD to get professional registration
If you are working towards the next level of professional registration, then volunteering as a STEM ambassador is a great way to prove your commitment to continual personal development. As part of showing you are a professional engineer to institutions such as the IMechE, they look for you to enhance the reputation of the profession, which is perfectly demonstrated by volunteering.
#5 – Great sense of personal satisfaction
The final benefit is a simple one, but probably the most powerful. The feedback you get from the teachers and co-ordinators really gives you a huge personal boost – they are so appreciative of your time and energy, and you know that you’ve been successful in having an impact on the children. It is also a great opportunity for personal reflection, as it makes you stop and realise what you have achieved and how far you’ve come.
You’ve Convinced Me….Where do I Sign Up?
Great news! Honestly you are making the best decision by joining this programme, I promise you won’t regret it.
If you would like to sign up, simply head to the below link. This will take you to a page detailing more information about the programme, where you can click through to fill out an account form. Once you’ve done this, you will be invited to complete an induction and DBS check, and that’s it!
https://www.stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors/join-stem-ambassador-programme
For me, it’s a winner for everyone if you decide to dedicate some of your spare time to volunteering as a STEM ambassador. I genuinely believe you can make a difference to children’s lives and inspire them to pursue a career in STEM…therefore helping to reduce the projected skills gap in these industries. And alongside of this good stuff for everyone else, it gives you a huge sense of personal satisfaction along with improved skills and the tools to level up your engineering career.
So give it a go, and see what a difference you can make to other’s lives.
Emilie
The Female Engineer
Comments
This is a sensational blog. As a former Careers Advisor, I appreciate the huge attention to detail that you have given. This must have taken a great deal of time and research to put together such a comprehensive piece. I wish I knew how to promote it further for you because children, young people and those employed to advise and guide them, would really benefit from reading. Thank you