2025 AIChE Annual Meeting

STEM Ambassadors - Exposing STEM to Future Generations

The Ohio State University chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers was the first student chapter to have a STEM Ambassador program. We were asked to pilot this program by AIChE National, and it began in the Autumn of 2021. The goal of STEM Ambassadors is to inspire the next generation of scientists by teaching K-12 students about STEM topics through hands-on experiments. In going to schools in the local area, ambassadors can teach students about a number of interesting STEM topics by presenting the material at the beginning of the period and guiding the students through the experiment for the remaining time. It is important that the students have fun, learn something new or expand on previous knowledge, and, most importantly, stay safe! Guiding the students through the experiments gives ambassadors the opportunity to teach them something new, allow them to observe the idea they just learned, and emphasize safety throughout the process.
Along with teaching the students, inspiration is a main emphasis of the program. The relationships and interactions ambassadors have with the students can be just as important to inspire the students as the material itself. Having an older college student to serve as a role model could be integral in the educational development and attitude towards education as a whole of the K-12 students. Talking to them, letting them ask questions about anything and everything, treating them with respect, and helping them have fun are the best ways to get them to enjoy the content, experiments, and the idea of continuing their education.
The goal of this workshop is to help universities start and/or improve their STEM Ambassador programs. We would share how we run our program, the helpful tips we've learned along the way, and the importance behind the program. Hopefully with universities across the nation running good STEM Ambassador programs, the future generation will be more exposed and inspired to go into Chemical Engineering, or if not, a position within the STEM field.