Magic Happens in Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program!
From Jenna Farrell
Engage in STEM (E-STEM) was launched in 2011 in the Everett Public Schools, and is a partnership of the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences (MAS) and the Massachusetts State Science & Engineering Fair (MSSEF). Undergraduate STEM majors traveled to Everett to help students in 6th – 12th grade dream up, design, and carry out their science fair projects. These projects were then entered into various science fairs across the state. STEM teachers in the district were offered free access to the professional development courses presented by the Curious Minds Initiative, an extraordinary plan developed by MSSEF that aims to engage every Massachusetts middle and high school student in Massachusetts in inquiry-based learning and the excitement of the discovery process.

E-STEM is especially interested in working with underrepresented students and is present in three districts this year: the Quaboag Regional School District in Warren, the Holyoke Public Schools in Holyoke, and the East Boston High School. Our undergraduate STEM mentors come from various institutions across the state, including Harvard University, UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, and Boston College.

As the Program Director of E-STEM, it is my job to pursue the tasks crucial to the sustainability and success of the program on a daily basis. It goes without saying that there are many times that I feel overwhelmed and perhaps frustrated at times as I work to build capacity for this program. Like all of us, I often end my days exhausted – but every Tuesday afternoon, I am reminded of why I do this work and why it means so much to me.

Almost immediately during our first mentoring session in Holyoke earlier this month, the E-STEM mentors were no longer strange college students, but now coveted role models for the students. As soon as the students knew who their mentor was, they came to life – asking questions, sharing their personal interests, and saying things like, “You really want to be my mentor? This is going to be so FUN!” There were smiles, laughs, and bonds forming in a way I wouldn’t have thought possible at the first session – all in the name of science projects! This tremendously moved me, and now Tuesday is my favorite day of the week (and my longest – go figure!)

I’ve shared this brief introduction to E-STEM because I think it is so important to remember why we have chosen to pursue the work we do. So often, we aren’t able to experience the activities we work so hard to put in place, recalibrate, and sustain. There’s always more work to do than people to do it, and that can wear us down. Empowering, inspiring, and fostering our next generation STEM workforce and the diversity that it represents is important, and we must work now to encourage our students to understand that they are worthy of opportunities and success. We have made tremendous progress in Massachusetts, and I encourage you to seek opportunities to truly feel the success you’ve created with your various programs and initiatives – it will drive all other aspects of your work in an astounding way.

Jenna Farrell is Executive Director of the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences.

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