The Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC) program connects CU Boulder volunteers (undergraduate students, graduate students and post-docs) with local K-12 students to engage in inquiry-based science and engineering activities/projects in an engaging and welcoming environment. Working primarily with students from groups underrepresented in STEM, PISEC seeks to support students’ development of their own STEM identity and to cultivate and sustain students’ interest in STEM by providing transformative and empowering experiences. Simultaneously, we offer valuable teaching, science communication and leadership experience for the program volunteers. PISEC is committed to sustaining mutually beneficial partnerships with schools and community organizations, providing opportunities for CU Boulder mentors and K-12 students to develop relationships over the course of a semester.

There are two types of PISEC programs: 1) an after-school STEM program hosted at school and community partner sites for grades 3-8, and 2) project-based high school mentorship during high school class time. In both cases, student participants direct their own STEM exploration, whether that’s investigating interesting scientific phenomena through open-ended inquiry with their mentors in the after-school program or designing, conducting and sharing the results of their own experiments in the high school classroom.

At the culmination of a semester-long program, primary school students come to CU Boulder for a field trip where they tour research labs, engage in fun science demonstrations and consider the possibilities of going to college and studying science. Similarly, high school students from multiple partner sites come to CU Boulder each spring for a poster symposium at which they present their projects to peers and CU Boulder scientists, tour research labs in JILA, and learn about STEM opportunities in college and beyond.

Research on PISEC has demonstrated a number of benefits for students who participate, including gains in conceptual understanding of physics, increased sense of agency and ownership over their scientific learning and increased interest in science. Research has also demonstrated benefits for the university volunteers, including increased content mastery, development of science communication skills and a sense of belonging to a community.

If you are interested in exploring partnership with PISEC, signing up to volunteer or simply want to learn more about the program, please contact the PISEC Director, Jessica Hoehn, at Jessica.Hoehn@colorado.edu or check out the PISEC website.

• PISEC Afterschool Program

  Additional Info

  PISEC partners with schools and community organizations to provide afterschool programming for youth in grades 3-8 hosted at the partner sites. For 9-10 weeks each semester, CU Boulder volunteers work with youth participants to explore fun, hands-on physics activities. The semester culminates in a field trip to CU Boulder.

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  Location

  in colorado

  Longmont

  Dates

  Ongoing

  Public or Private

  Private Program (by request only or for a specific audience or group)

  Program Fee

  No charge to attend/participate in activity or program

• PISEC High School Program

  Additional Info

  The project-based high school mentorship program takes place during the school day in classrooms at our partner schools. CU Boulder volunteers serve as advisors and mentors for high school students working on their own projects related to physics, engineering or other STEM disciplines. The year culminates in a poster symposium at CU Boulder.

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  Location

  in colorado

  Boulder

  Dates

  Ongoing

  Public or Private

  Private Program (by request only or for a specific audience or group)

  Program Fee

  No charge to attend/participate in activity or program