25 Feb 2019 Share your knowledge | Make a difference!
#STEMinKC programs seek volunteers and mentors
The wealth of STEM experiences for young people in Kansas City is amazing, but nearly all are fueled by volunteers and mentors willing to share what they’ve learned professionally with the next generation. If you’re passionate about making a difference in a young person’s life, consider one of these current opportunities. From online to in person, there’s a spot for you!
PREP-KC’s Connector
The Connector allows you to talk with students about your work virtually, without ever leaving your workplace. Students get to see what your work is like in real-time by using PREP-KC’s Connector. A small commitment of time to “connect” students with a wide range of professionals can be life-changing, and supports much needed college and career preparation for the Kansas City region’s urban students.Share your expertise and experience with students and teachers by signing up at https://prepkc.nepris.com/. Your participation will help students integrate academic skills with the soft skills and industry-specific competencies that can open up opportunities.
Kansas City Women in Technology
Kansas City Women in Technology has mentoring opportunities in three of its programs and would love to for people to join in helping women of all ages pursue developer-related learning and careers.
CoderDojoKC meets from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. every second Saturday of the month. The program teaches kids K-12 how to code and accepts male and female mentors. To get involved, go to http://coderdojokc.com/become-a-mentor/
Coding & Cupcakes meets from 12:30 to 4 p.m. every second Saturday of the month. Mother/daughter pairs learn to build a cupcake website—all in the name of introducing girls to coding and dispelling myths that programming is only for boys. You can sign up via this form.
Coding & Cocktails meets from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. every second Saturday of the month. Women who attend can explore coding from basic HTML to advanced back-end and single page application coding as the year progresses. Cocktails are served as the name implies. To sign up, use the form at the bottom of this page: https://codingandcocktails.kcwomenintech.org/
If you want to mentor on an occasional basis, KCWiT would love your help too. All of the links mentioned here and additional information are at https://kcwomenintech.org/mentoring-opportunities/
KC STEM Alliance
The spring Project Lead The Way Senior Showcase of capstone projects by local high school students in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Design & Development has grown exponentially, which means KC STEM Alliance needs more industry professionals than ever to help judge projects both online and in person. The window for judging projects online is April 5-18; on-site volunteers also are needed during the event itself on Tuesday, April 23, at Union Station.
With about 500 students participating, this year KC STEM Alliance challenges all previous volunteers to recruit a friend or colleague to join in! Find the details and sign up here.
Kansas City FIRST
Competitions for the FIRST suite of robotics programs take a small army of volunteers to run smoothly. FIRST volunteers are people from all walks of life who come together to create a positive environment for kids to engage in STEM, and you don’t need technical expertise to be part of the action.
In 2019, Kansas City is stretching to make FIRST competitions available to even more students—and could use your help! The first of three FIRST Robotics Competition regional tournaments begins in mid-March. FIRST especially needs help during the portions of these events that fall on week days in both non-technical and technical roles. If you can help, please contact volunteer coordinator Kebra Rios.
FIRST volunteers sign up through the national organization’s volunteer management system. See this page for an overview and instructions. Need help? Contact us!
