Developing & Enhancing STEM Communicator Models > Project Outputs > Event - 'Student Involvement in STEM Activities'

Project Outputs > Event - 'Student Involvement in STEM Activities'

On Monday 14th November 2011, the project team hosted an event at the University of Bath entitled Student Involvement in STEM Activities: is it a good idea, what works and how can we make it better? The event attracted over 40 HE STEM practitioners from across the UK interested in discussing and comparing good practice in student involvement in STEM outreach schemes, with the aim of seeing how to maximise the effectiveness of such schemes. An agenda for the day is below:

Student Involvement in STEM Activities - Agenda

Outputs from the day

A series of 5 presentations were given throughout the day as follows:

An introduction to accredited models of STEM student engagement drawing upon examples from the universities of Bath and Bristol

Accredited Models of STEM Engagement

An introduction to paid models of STEM student engagement drawing upon examples from the universities of Bristol and the West of England

Paid Models of STEM Engagement

An introduction to voluntary models of STEM student engagement drawing upon examples from the Institute of Physics

Voluntary Models of STEM Engagement

A summary of findings from an evaluation of students to assess their perceptions prior to taking part in a STEM communications event versus their reflection on the experience following the event. These findings are summarised in the powerpoint below and further information on the evaluation can be found here

Student Involvement in STEM Activities - An Evaluation

A presentation on a project to enhance the employability skills of STEM student ambassadors. This project was also funded by the South West Spoke of the National HE STEM Programme, and full project details can be accessed here

Enhancing the Employability Skills of STEM Student Ambassadors

Delegate Feedback

Delegates provided crucial examples, insights and information throughout the day which helped inform the project group's work to develop a Guide to Initiating STEM Communicator Models in HEIs.

Some feedback from delegates included:

It was really useful to identify the employability skills that students develop from outreach activities and to understand better the motivations of students to do outreach work.

The best thing was meeting other people from STEM, many with quite different approaches / backgrounds.

I hoped to find out more about what other institutions are doing in this area to to share good practice. I feel that I have done this.

I aimed to get a more rounded understanding of university STEM WP activities and how students are involved as ambassadors. This aim was met!