Many scientists credit a teacher or mentor in helping inspire them to pursue a career in STEM. As shared by the EPA, often a hands-on demonstration with a connection to real-world challenges expose possibilities for students, plus illuminate career paths not previously considered. "Iluminando el Futuro", an IEEE Photonics Latin America STEM Outreach Initiative, hopes to do just that.
In its pilot stage, the program seeks to encourage K-12 pupils to pursue higher education in photonics STEM areas, while also inspiring members and photonics professionals to serve as mentors in their native languages.
Local STEM Outreach Ambassadors will be trained with tools to create their own outreach light-based activities in IEEE Region 9, i.e. South America and Central America, including Mexico and Puerto Rico.
How We Need Your Help
We are currently in need of experienced K-12 STEM educators, "STEM Experteers", who can record short videos in Spanish and conduct mentorship trainings. Volunteers bilingual in Spanish and English are needed.
The Experteers will answer questions on their experiences as science communicators, mentors and photonics STEM professionals and/or conduct mentor hour sessions. These videos and sessions will be used to train and inspire local STEM Outreach Ambassadors as they form their virtual and in-person activities with the general public, teachers and community partners throughout Latin America.
While completing the form below, please mark which questions you are interested in supporting as a trainer. Ultimately, inform us of the questions that interest you and/or you have background in. The questions will then be divvied and assigned. Each "STEM Experteer" is projected to answer 3-5 questions.