Women In Science And Engineering (wise) 2025 - 2026 Outreach Volunteers

Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE)

WiSE has been promoting and advocating for the involvement of all female-identifying individuals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields at Queen's University for the past 33 years.

WiSE operates on three main pillars: inspiring the next generation of women, educating on the importance of female representation in the industry, and collaborating with others sharing the same goals. Queen's WiSE welcomes everyone regardless of race, sex, age, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodiversity, and experience. WiSE welcomes students of any gender from all faculties and backgrounds who share a passion for our vision.

To achieve these goals, WiSE organizes year round community outreach initiatives aimed to inspire and foster enthusiasm for STEM among young women in elementary & high school through engaging events. WiSE Outreach Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in our Outreach initiatives that seek to encourage young girls in the Kingston community and beyond to pursue careers in the STEM fields. WiSE Outreach is structured into two main divisions: Community Outreach and Outreach Events.

This volunteer position requires a vulnerable sector check. As a non-profit organization, WiSE is unable to reimburse all volunteers for the cost of obtaining this check. However, we may be able to offer limited reimbursements on an individual basis after hiring.

Community Outreach

WiSE Community Outreach volunteers have the thrilling opportunity to connect with young girls who are interested in a future in STEM. The Community Outreach programs include Elementary School Outreach and High School Outreach. Over the course of the year, volunteers will stimulate students' minds and excite them about all the wonderful things to come. Through their participation in these programs, volunteers help run and organize various events and workshops and offer guidance and mentorship to young girls ranging from grade 3 to high school students, depending on the volunteer program. Volunteers are required to attend program events and outreach meetings (frequency of meetings will be set by coordinators), prepare lesson plans/experiments, and assist coordinators in the planning and logistics of the program as needed. The time commitment for this position varies depending on the initiative and time of year; however, volunteers can generally expect to dedicate ~1-4 hours/week (+ a slight increase closer to the date(s) of the events, which can be a full day commitment).

Volunteer Types

• Elementary School Outreach (ESO) Volunteer: ESO volunteers will be going into local elementary schools once every other week in teams to run engaging lessons and experiments with the girls in grades 3-6. The goal of this program is to excite young girls about the world of STEM through education and hands-on experience. We hope to foster a close community where both the students and the volunteers feel supported and free to grow. Together, we will spark inspiration within our next generation of STEM leaders.
• High School Outreach (HSO) Volunteer: HSO volunteers will provide support for two distinct activities:
• High School Mentorship Program: Volunteers will be paired up with a high school student and meet online periodically throughout the year. Volunteers will help their students by answering questions and offering words of wisdom about STEM fields and university life. This is part of the HSO volunteer role, but volunteers in other roles can become a mentor as well.
• Webinars and Events: HSO volunteers will help to support and run at least one webinar/event each semester.
• The "Day in the Life" event is an in-person event that covers a day in the life of a Queen's student in various STEM degrees to help the high school girls make their decisions about what to take in university and ease their nerves about the decision process.
• Two webinars will be offered and will be open to any high school student across Canada. The fall webinar focuses on the different STEM programs at Queen's and helps high school students find programs they wish to apply to. The winter webinar focuses on the transition from high school to university and ways to handle the transition. Together, these webinars aim to answer questions and alleviate anxiety towards university by connecting with high school girls from all over.

Outreach Events

WISE Outreach also runs two STEM focused events on campus to inspire young girls, EngSci Day and Badge Day. These events are filled with interactive experiments, engaging workshops, and inspiring guest speakers, all tied together by a central theme. Our goal is to create a welcoming and exciting environment where participants can learn, ask questions, and see themselves as future scientists, engineers, and innovators.

Volunteers play a key role in making these days successful. You will take on one of two main roles:

• Experiment Leader – Responsible for designing and running a hands-on experiment or activity for the day. You'll prepare materials in advance, guide participants through the activity, and connect the lesson to the day's overall theme.
• Group Leader – Responsible for leading a small group of participants through the day's schedule, taking them to each experiment station, keeping them engaged, and supporting the smooth operation of the event.

Both events run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with volunteers expected to arrive by 8:00 AM for setup and preparation. Volunteers are required to participate in at least two of the four event days throughout the year.

Applications close on September 20th at 11:59 pm

Interviews will be held between September 22nd-28th

For more information on any of these positions, please feel free to contact: Sydney Barbour & Meghan Ross (Community Outreach) or Ashley Towns & Olivia Pellarin (Outreach Events) at wise.outreach@engsoc.queensu.ca