ZOOM . grownups . ZOOMsci Training . Find Volunteer Scientists

Invite a scientist or engineer to visit with your kids. Many scientists and engineers are eager to visit afterschool programs and talk with children about their work. Volunteers can help explain many of the science and engineering principles behind the activities. They can also act as role models and introduce interesting career options.

	Think of your relationship as a partnership. The scientist or engineer has a special knowledge of his or her profession. You are an expert in working with kids and engaging them in activities. Undoubtedly, you'll both gain a great deal!
	Identify a meeting during which you would like to have a volunteer visit. Define the role you would like the visitor to play. For example, they might explain what scientists or engineers do, show examples of products they've designed or tools they use, share "bloopers" from the workplace, or help kids work on activities.
	Find a scientist or engineer. Below are some places you can contact to find volunteer scientists and engineers. Be sure to invite both male and female role models who represent diverse ethnicities. Colleges or universities College students make enthusiastic volunteers who appeal to kids because they are close in age. Call the institution's main line and ask to speak to one of the science departments or a professor. Ask if they can recommend student volunteers. You can also visit a university's Web site and search faculty bios to identify people who have an interest or experience in working with kids. EWeek National Engineers Week (EWeek) offers a searchable database of volunteer engineers from around the country. For more information, go to the Engineering Contacts Directory at www.eweek.org/2002/DiscoverE/eweeksrch.shtml. Parents Find out if any of your kids' parents work in the science or engineering fields or know people who do. Professional organizations Organizations may have branches in your area. Visit their Web sites and see if there is a regional group you can contact for volunteers. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) www.asce.org/inside/local_sec_branches.cfm The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) www.ieee.org/organizations/eab/precollege/ peers/index.htm American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) www.asme.org/communities/#geographical Society of Women Engineers (SWE) www.societyofwomenengineers.org/members/ regions.aspx RE-SEED RE-SEED stands for Retirees Enhancing Science Education through Experiments and Demonstrations. This organization works with retired engineers who are dedicated to volunteering with children. For information about a volunteer engineer in your area, e-mail reseed@neu.edu or call their toll-free number at 888-742-2424. Science or engineering companies Contact your local biotech association www2.bio.org/members/ biostateaffiliates.asp and ask for contact information for scientists. Many associations have established programs to encourage scientists to volunteer in local schools. Science or children's museums Many museums have partnerships with local scientific and engineering societies and may be able to connect you to scientists or engineers. In addition, many exhibit developers have engineering or science backgrounds and may be interested in talking about their careers with children. Contact your local museum's education department for more information.
	Call the scientist or engineer. When calling the scientist or engineer, you might want to cover some of these talking points. Introduce yourself and explain that you are teaching science and engineering activities to kids and would like your kids to meet a professional scientist or engineer. Describe your program, including when it meets and what activities you'll be doing. Emphasize that the program is about problem solving, not about knowing the answers. Describe your kids, including ages, interests, and abilities. Find out if the scientist or engineer has experience working with kids. Define the volunteer's role. For example, they might explain what they do at work, show examples of products they design or tools they use, share "bloopers" from the workplace, or help kids work on activities. Suggest that they limit the "lecture" part of their visit to about 15 minutes. Schedule the visit(s) and mark your calendar. Obtain a mailing or e-mail address and let the volunteer know you'll be sending a confirmation letter with more information.
	Send the volunteer a letter confirming the visit and providing any additional information he or she might need to prepare for the visit. You can customize this sample confirmation letter (Word doc: 4K).
	Prepare your kids. Describe the visitor's job and help them come up with questions they might want to ask him or her.