Example Engagement Opportunities
The Community-Engaged STEM certificate requires at least 40 hours of focused, STEM-related community engagement work in Philadelphia. This certificate requirement is fulfilled by sustained engagement with community members over time. Engagement work can take many forms. Below are example engagement opportunities that you may participate in.
If you are involved in other engagement opportunities that may fulfill certificate requirements, please let us know so we can add them to this list. Fill out the Community-Engaged STEM Engagement Suggestions form to suggest other engagement opportunities.
Project BioEYES
Project BioEYES is an award-winning K-12 science education program providing classroom-based learning opportunities using live zebrafish. During a BioEYES week, you can assist with classroom lessons and/or virtually connect with students. Minimum 3-hour commitment per week. No zebrafish experience required, and you will work alongside our outreach team and teacher. Requires completion of PA-mandated working with minors clearances (Penn Medicine Office of Outreach, Education, and Research will assist in obtaining these).
Contact Jackie Davidson
DrosoPHILA
DrosoPHILA is a multi-day classroom-based science unit utilizing fruit flies to look at experimental design, genetics, and neuroscience. During a DrosoPHILA week, you can assist with classroom lessons and/or virtually connect with students. Minimum 3-hour commitment per week. No fly experience required, and you will work alongside our outreach team and teacher. Requires completion of PA-mandated working with minors clearances (Penn Medicine Office of Outreach, Education, and Research will assist in obtaining these).
Contact Joshua Kouassi
Science Olympiad @UPenn
Science Olympiad @UPenn is a Saturday program to assist local middle and high school students in preparing for the local Science Olympiad competition as well as host tours and workshops about research and careers. Sessions take place once a month from October – March at Penn Medicine. Minimum 2-hour commitment per month. Requires completion of PA-mandated working with minors clearances (Penn Medicine Office of Outreach, Education, and Research will assist in obtaining these).
Contact Tarence Smith
OER Summer Research
Office of Outreach, Education, & Research Summer Research experience extends local high school students’ pathway to research through a six-week paid summer job in PSOM labs. Mentors spend approximately 25 hours weekly overseeing one student, and teaching them basic laboratory techniques, and helping them understand what a student and professional research career looks like. Twenty-five students get placed per summer and there is no financial obligation for your lab. Minimum of 25-hour commitment per week (from the end of June through July). Requires completion of PA-mandated working with minors clearances (Penn Medicine Office of Outreach, Education, and Research will assist in obtaining these).
Contact Tarence Smith
Community School Student Partnerships
Community School Student Partnerships (CSSP) supports school day and after-school programs for K-12 students at five West Philadelphia schools: Hamilton, Sayre, Lea, Mitchell, and Comegys. When interacting with students in classrooms and during CSSP events, mentors have fun, grow as individuals, and positively impact the West Philadelphia community. Penn students also work with teachers, staff, and other partners to support students’ academic and extracurricular endeavors. Students can request a STEM placement. Learn more about mentor experiences and apply for work-study or volunteer opportunities.
Contact upenn.cssp@gmail.com
Educational Pipeline Program
Educational Pipeline (Pipeline) encourages high school students, from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine, to pursue medical science careers and is a collaboration between the Netter Center, Perelman School of Medicine, Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine, and Penn’s School of Life Sciences Management. Fall Pipeline programming consists of opportunities for undergraduates to (a) teach lessons in gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, public health, and Life Sciences Management at UACS high schools in science classrooms and (b) support career panel programming. During the spring semester, weekly Penn campus-based classes are held for select groups of 9th-12th graders from these same UACS high schools. We provide mentorship and education at all levels: high school students are taught by undergraduates and graduate students, undergraduates learn from graduate students, and graduate students are guided by faculty.
Contact Zac Steele
MathMates
MathMates is officially recruiting for the fall 2023 semester! Supported by the Netter Center, MathMates is a student-led tutoring program for middle school scholars at Andrew Hamilton School in West Philadelphia. Tutors can engage with students after school (on Monday or Tuesday) or during the school day between 9 and 11 am (M-F)! This is a phenomenal opportunity to build relationships with stellar students, develop math planning and communication skills, and work on fun math content. Learn more about MathMates and apply for the upcoming fall 2023 semester.
Contact upenn.mathmates@gmail.com
Moelis Access Science
Moelis Access Science (MAS) Fellows seek to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for students in grades K-12 at the Netter Center’s University-Assisted Community Schools through hands-on, inquiry-based activities (i.e. labs, experiments, and collaborative activities). MAS Fellows lead the activities with students and teacher partners during school-day and after-school programs, depending on the site and the subject. MAS has several student-led departments including Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Elementary Science, Math, and Physics.
Contact MASFellowcoordinator@gmail.com
Robeson Youth Society of Engineers
This program is held in partnership with the Netter Center at Penn and Paul Robeson High School. The Robeson Youth Society of Engineers (RYSE) will introduce 11th-grade Robeson students to various engineering fields through fun, interactive labs. We need Penn Engineering students (or any STEM students) to assist in leading the weekly workshops and mentoring these students! This is a great opportunity to increase your involvement in the West Philadelphia community and use your engineering knowledge to encourage West Philadelphia students to pursue STEM! Not to mention, there will be free food at each meeting!
Contact Rashmi Iyer
Students for Environmental Equity
Students for Environmental Equity (SEE) Fellows partner with university-assisted community schools in West Philadelphia to address local environmental justice needs and support the development of skills needed for a sustainable and equitable future. Through K–12 school day partnerships, K–12 and college students bring their unique assets together in order to collaboratively minimize environmental hazards and increase access to enjoyable, equitable, useful, safe, and ecologically resilient outdoor and indoor spaces in West Philadelphia schools. We mutually develop practical skills that support these goals, such as the ability to grow and maintain community school gardens, weatherize buildings, monitor and analyze environmental sensors, become effective advocates and educators, collaborate with our local partners, and more. While interdisciplinary, SEE Fellows operate as a branch of the Moelis Access Science (MAS) program at the Netter Center. Students can request a STEM role.
Contact Zac Steele