Volunteers

Join Central Texas Discover Engineering (CTDE) in its mission to excite Central Texas K-12 students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM):

• Visit an area elementary, middle and/or high school classroom or set of classrooms
• Introduce and facilitate a hands-on activity and give students the opportunity to experience the engineering design process
• Discuss your job and share a “day in the life of an engineer”
• Discuss the reasons you chose engineering as a major and career, your career path, and your struggles along the way
• Get connected to additional volunteer opportunities to judge science fairs, help at science/STEM nights at local schools, help with hands-on activities at area libraries, speak to STEM clubs or robotics teams, and more

4 Steps to Get Involved with CTDE:

1. Sign up with GivePulse

Volunteer registration IS OPEN. CTDE is using GivePulse to make it easy for STEM professionals to connect with K-20 educators, classrooms, out of school time programs, and other volunteer opportunities.

Scan the requests for volunteers from CTDE affiliates towards the bottom of our CTDE group page on GivePulse or search the requests for volunteers to find a STEM volunteer request that meets your interests, proximity, and/or availability. Use keywords such as STEM, science, technology, engineering, math, computer science, coding, computing, etc. to narrow your search.

2. Plan your visit

Once you are matched with a school and confirmed with the request, you should:

• Check out the DiscoverE Resource for Setting Up a Visit
• Contact the educator or volunteer requester to finalize any details or clarify anything from the request;
• Select an activity to bring into the classroom;
• Recruit other volunteers from your company, professional societies, friends if you need more help for your visit.
• Not sure what to expect? No problem! Here is a sample classroom visit that should help, whether you are a seasoned volunteer or preparing for your very first visit.
• Want a turnkey presentation about engineering careers designed with research-based best messaging practices? Check out this resource from DiscoverE.
• Pick up FREE Discover Engineering giveaways for teachers, students, and volunteers during our distribution days.  12 – 1 PM at Life Storage (Burnet & Braker). Email info@centexeweek.org if your visit is coming up soon and you need materials.

3. Provide Feedback

Once you have completed your school visit please fill out this brief Classroom Visit Feedback Form so we can keep track of how many kids we reached this year in our Annual Report.

4. Stay Involved

We are always looking for STEM professionals and educators to contribute to our program, which reaches over 14,000 students in Central Texas each year.  You can stay involved by:

• Signing up for our email newsletter to stay connected to opportunities and CTDE information.
• Supporting other STEM organizations in the region (list maintained by the Greater Austin STEM Ecosystem)
• Joining a Central Texas Discover Engineering Subcommittee

Volunteer Resources

• Volunteer FAQ
• Inspire Innovation Presentation (good for grades 8 – 12)
• List of Engineering Societies

Have Questions or Need More Information?

Email volunteer@centexeweek.org