Seattle MESA Classroom Volunteer Positions for College of the Environment Students

Seattle MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) successfully prepares underrepresented minorities, women and economically at-risk students to successfully pursue STEM related degrees and careers through providing middle and high school students innovative, hands-on opportunities in math, basic and applied science, and engineering.

In January 2025, Seattle MESA and College of the Environment DEI Office are hosting a new volunteer program that will pair College of the Environment students with Seattle MESA students through visits to high school and middle school classrooms and clubs. This unique opportunity to connect face-to-face with high school and middle school students encourages greater interest in and potential excitement for environmental and geoscience degree options (i.e. marine, earth sciences, atmospheric, etc.) and real-world, career application of these degrees. Each Seattle MESA student that goes on to pursue a path in the environmental sciences brings all of us one step closer to ending “under” representation in STEM fields, improving global outcomes through the design of solutions that better serve all communities.

Who?

Through this volunteer program, 6 College of the Environment (or other UW)* students would be selected as volunteer guest coordinators/ambassadors. The CoE students would be split into 3 pairs, and each pair would be matched with one classroom or club at a Seattle MESA middle or high school.

*This program encourages College of the Environment students to apply, however, the application is open to UW students in other degree programs who may be applying their studies to an environmental issue or topic.

What?

The UW student pairs would complete 2 visits per quarter with their Seattle MESA classroom or club (for 4 visits over Winter and Spring 2025). During school visits, UW students would help lead an activity that engages Seattle MESA students in STEM and the environmental sciences. Activities may include:

• Being a guest speaker: Share about your research focus, your pathway to something in environmental sciences, take student questions.
• Assist a Seattle MESA coordinator or the MESA teacher with hands-on activities, such as: Circuit Playground, Public Sensors, Smart Cities, Drones, Introduction to AI.
• Bonus!  Tailor the activity to be more about your area of expertise (i.e. Marine, earth, or atmospheric science.)
• Bonus! Help Seattle MESA students brainstorm a project idea for MESA Day, the culminating celebration of the MESA year in which students showcase their project, partake in competitions, and join college and career fairs.

Where?

Seattle MESA schools are geographically dispersed along the I-5 corridor, ranging from Mukilteo in the north, to Tukwila in the south (map). Schools include:

When: January – May 2025

• Position Timeline
  • Winter Quarter 2025
    • January 2025: Applications due on Friday January 24th; final applicants selected and notified
    • February 2025: Position onboarding, UCAR Training, and get paired with a Seattle MESA school
    • February – March 2025: Conduct 2 visits to assigned Seattle MESA school
  • Spring Quarter 2025:
    • April – May 2025: Conduct 2 visits to assigned Seattle MESA school
    • April 2025: Attend Seattle MESA Day (optional but desired)
• Position Time Commitment
  • Onboarding: 4 hours of training, getting school pairing, etc.
  • Travel Time: Up to 1.5 hours for travel time per visit (Plan for ~25 min-45 min drive each way depending on location of school and time of day) x 2 school visits/quarter = ~3 hours of travel time total per quarter
  • School Visits Time: Up to 1.5 hours of in-person time with MESA students per visit x 2 school visits per quarter = ~3 hours total in-person time per quarter
  • Seattle MESA Day: Up to 4 hours in-person at Seattle MESA Day

To apply, you must meet the following criteria:

• Any major within College of the Environment
• Available and willing to commit for winter and spring 2025 quarters
• At least a 3.0 GPA
• Willing and excited to work with middle or high school students
• Excited to share your environmental or geoscience passion with MESA students
• Responsive and communicative
• Current driver’s license (for reserving and driving a UCAR)
• Willing and able to complete the UCAR Fleet Service Driver Safety & Awareness Training
• Willing to become certified to work with minors (*Training and certification will be part of the onboarding process)

Additional desired criteria:

• Current student in the College of the Environment (any unit), or, applying your major to an environmental-or-geoscience related issue or topic
• Fluent in Spanish (other desired languages include Mandarin, Somali or other East African Dialects)
• Willing to attend Seattle MESA Day in April 2025; MESA Day is the annual STEM competition for MESA middle and high school students

Position benefits:

• $25 Visa Gift card per visit
• List the experience on a Resume or CV
• Recommendation letters and/or Job reference check
• Real-world experience teaching and leading lessons and working with students
• Developing the skill of science communication

Applications are due by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Friday January 24th.
All final applicants will be onboarded to positions in February 2025.

Apply here