WiSE Outreach Volunteer Hiring 2024-25

Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) has been promoting and advocating for the involvement of all female-identifying individuals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields at Queen’s University for the past 33 years. 

WiSE operates on three main pillars: inspiring the next generation of women, educating on the importance of female representation in the industry, and collaborating with others sharing the same goals. Queen’s WiSE welcomes everyone regardless of race, sex, age, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodiversity, and experience. WiSE welcomes students of any gender from all faculties and backgrounds who share a passion for our vision.

To achieve these goals, WiSE organizes year-round community outreach initiatives to inspire and foster enthusiasm for STEM among young women in elementary & high school. WiSE Outreach Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in one of our 3 Outreach initiatives that seek to encourage young girls in the Kingston community and beyond to pursue careers in the STEM fields. The Outreach programs include: Elementary School Outreach, High School Outreach, and Outreach Events (EngSci Day and Badge Day). Through their participation in these programs, volunteers help run and organize various events and workshops, offering guidance and mentorship to young girls ranging from the 4th grade to high school students depending on the program you choose. Volunteers are required to attend their program events and outreach meetings (frequency of meetings will be set by coordinators), prepare lesson plans/experiments, and assist coordinators in the planning and logistics of the program as needed. The time commitment for this position varies depending on the initiative and time of year. Volunteers can expect to dedicate ~1-3 hours/week (+ a slight increase closer to the date(s) of the events which can be a full day commitment). 

Open Volunteer Positions: 

• Elementary School Outreach (ESO) Volunteer: ESO volunteers meet with girls grades 4-6 weekly where they present engaging activities, lessons and experiments. The goal of this program is to provide educational, exciting and hands-on experiences that will encourage curiosity, interest, and passion for STEM-related topics and learning. We hope to create close relationships between our volunteers and the girls to foster a strong community and to inspire confidence within our next generation of STEM leaders.
• High School Outreach (HSO) Volunteer: HSO volunteers prepare presentations for classes based on the Ontario curriculum for each STEM class, and try to put a fun and interesting spin on the lesson (whether that be an experiment, demonstration, or game) to get students excited about STEM! We also hope to alleviate some anxiety towards a post-secondary education by speaking to students about the application process, deciding your program/major, and more! Last year, WiSE HSO volunteers hosted our inaugural 'High School: Day in the Life' event where local students were invited to campus to meet undergrad women in STEM fields, hear from empowering leaders & professors, and tour campus.
• Outreach Events Volunteer: Outreach Events volunteers will assist with the planning and delivery of both EngSci and Badge Day which are all-day, weekend events tailored to young girls full of experiments, and learning. Girl Guides Badge Day is hosted on the Queen’s University campus and is an annual event that invites Girl Guides from the Kingston community to participate in experiments and workshops delivered by WiSE volunteers. Depending on what kind of experiments are completed, girls can earn a science or engineering Girl Guides badge to wrap up their fun-filled day! EngSci Day occurs once during each semester and is open to girls from Grade 1 through 6  in the Kingston area. WiSE Volunteers run science and engineering-based activities throughout the day to educate and encourage young girls to pursue STEM. 

Note: These volunteer positions requires a vulnerable sector check. As a non-profit organization, WiSE is unable to reimburse all volunteers for the cost of obtaining this check. Limited reimbursements may be offered on an individual basis after hiring. 

For more information about each outreach initiative, please visit our website: https://www.engsoc.queensu.ca/... or instagram @queenswise

For more information on this position, please feel free to contact: Alice Smith & Kylie Mercuri at wise.outreach @engsoc.queensu.ca

Applications will close on Friday September 20th at 11:59PM (EDT). Interviews will be conducted over Microsoft Teams from Saturday, September 21st - Tuesday September 24th.