Volunteers needed! Partner with a school teacher and unlock the power of STEM education

 

STEM Professionals are highly valued in education for their specialised knowledge and breadth of experience. By volunteering through CSIRO’s STEM Professionals in Schools program, you can partner with a school teacher to help bridge the gap between classroom STEM subjects and their real life applications and career possibilities. 

Dr Bruce Webber has been working as a global change ecologist at CSIRO for more than 15 years, supporting important work to improve biodiversity conservation. Despite his busy career, Bruce makes time several times a year to share his expertise and passion for ecology with school students.  

He is partnered with a local school in Perth, Western Australia, and supports a variety of learning activities for students. He has given career talks, been a judge for a school science competition, and participated in special school projects like the designing, building and ongoing monitoring of a frog pond on the school grounds. He explains that an activity like that goes beyond the building of a pond, to building the understanding of how it supports an ecosystem. 

“It’s understanding that you can’t just dig a hole and put a bit of plastic lining in there for frogs to turn up,” Bruce said.  

“If you want frogs in the area, you need to consider: what do frogs need? And what do those things that frogs need, need? We built this pond ecosystem theoretically first by mapping that interaction web, and then we built it in their school.” 

Hannah Reid, Bruce’s teacher partner, said work around the frog pond can be tied to key learning content in the Australian Curriculum across multiple school levels. The project covers subjects including biological science, science inquiry, technology, and maths. 

“Our collaboration with Bruce has afforded us the knowledge and confidence to build a STEM learning program with authenticity and a level of engagement from students that is not possible through regular curriculum resources,” Hannah said.   

“Having a scientist in the classroom, and being able to create new hands-on activities with his input, produces a great level of excitement for the kids, making the learning memorable as well as fun. 

“The deeper understanding of STEM that it affords our students, particularly of biological sciences, has been invaluable.” 

Bruce considers it a priority for STEM professionals to actively support STEM education in schools and communities. 

“Today’s primary schoolers will be the workforce delivering the solutions over the next few decades. They already have a natural curiosity for life and for the natural world,” Bruce said.  

“Our job is to ignite their passion for a STEM career and to equip them with the knowledge they’ll need to achieve it.” 

You can read more about Bruce’s full story, and why he values curiosity in STEM education so much, on the CSIRO news site: From little things, big things grow: the gift of STEM education – CSIRO 

STEM Professionals in Schools has teachers ready and waiting to be partnered.  

STEM professionals with a minimum of a bachelor degree in a STEM field, or evidence of equivalent experience in a STEM field are eligible to apply. Find out more and volunteer today: STEM Professionals in Schools program – CSIRO 

The program is supported by the Australian Government Department of Education and delivered by CSIRO.