SMIF has three employees who collaborate together to help make outreach happen: Holly Leddy, Emily Snell, and Lydia Parks. But how are we able to interface with thousands of students each year with a team so small? We don't do it alone!
Volunteering with SMIF outreach is an incredibly rewarding experience, and an opportunity to bring authentic and engaging hands-on STEM activities to K-12 students in the Durham community and beyond.
Many of our most commonly facilitated activities have descriptions linked below so that you can get a better idea of what our interactions with students look like. We have also included answers to some frequently asked questions. Don't hesitate to reach out to us if you you have a question that isn't covered below!
If you're interested in having one of our outreach team members reach out to you and answer any questions you may have about the volunteering process or add you to the Listserv to receive notifications about upcoming volunteering opportunities, feel free to scan or click the QR code to the right.
Thank you for your interest in engaging the next generation of STEM professionals!
Activity Descriptions
- Guided Tour of SMIF Facilities
- Light Microscope Usage with SMIF-Provided Samples
- Cleanroom Suit Try-On
- UV Paper (Photolithography Parallel)
- UV Bead Bracelet / Keychain Making
Outreach Volunteer FAQs
Q: How much scientific / engineering knowledge do I need in order to be able to volunteer?
A: As long as you have completed high school science and are enthusiastic about communicating the merits of STEM to students, we are happy to have you! Niche knowledge of what goes on in SMIF is certainly not required. Before you guide students through any particular activity, you will shadow SMIF staff or other volunteers conducting the activity. You can also read through the activity descriptions above to help familiarize yourself with what concepts you might want to ask students probing questions about. You'll need a general familiarity with the subject matter before engaging students with it, but we will take you through the activity and ensure you're comfortable before you're put in a situation where you're conducting an activity with students on your own.
Q: How often am I expected to volunteer?
A: That is entirely up to you! We are cognizant of the demanding schedule of being a Duke student and fully expect that your coursework and studies are your primary priority while you are here. We encourage you to peruse through the available events when they are sent out (via our listserv, which you can join at the clickable QR code above) and see what fits best in your schedule and with your course load.
Q: Is it possible to get compensated for work spent on SMIF outreach?
A: Yes! Both undergraduate and graduate students are able to be compensated for time spent on SMIF outreach work if they become regular outreach event staffers. While we recognize that graduate students may not have a second form of employment, we do want to show our appreciation for the hard time and work that students spend with us at outreach events and thus show our appreciation via a twice-yearly stipend that is proportional to the time spent at SMIF outreach events. Undergraduates submit biweekly timecards for compensation. All compensation is at the ~TA rate.
Q: Can I get help getting to outreach events if I don't have a car?
A: Duke policy strongly discourages staff members from providing rides to students in their personal vehicles. However, we have many ways that we can get you to events. Depending on the size of the event and number of volunteers, we may rent a minivan through Duke and drive all volunteers together. This is usually done for day-long events that are a bit of a drive, but still in-state. If we are not able to rent a mini-van, we may help connect you with other volunteers so that you can carpool to events. In some cases, public transportation may be an option. If none of the above are an option, we can help provide reimbursement for Lyft fare to/from the SMIF outreach event.
Q: Is there anything I'm expected to do before I volunteer?
A: Since you will be working with minors through a Duke program, you will have to take an online training and submit a background check. Once you have officially expressed interest in helping staff a particular outreach event, you will be added via your Duke email to the "Youth in Duke Programs" portal, which will then send you an automated email from a member of your outreach team with links to complete both the training and the background check. You will need to use the same email when completing the training and the background check. The background check typically takes 1-3 weeks to clear.