SW England Community STEM Volunteers

We are SW England STEM Ambassadors, and we are part of the UK-wide STEM Ambassador volunteering network. This network is f unded by UKRI, managed across the UK by STEM Learning, and Graphic Science is the STEM Ambassador Deliver Partner for SW England.

SW England STEM Ambassadors engages people with diverse STEM backgrounds - from interns to CEOs, students to professors - and supports them to volunteer in quality, impactful activities that aim to increase the quantity and diversity of participation in STEM by young people across all parts of South West England.

Get in touch for a chat if you think our organisations could to work together to raise the profile of STEM across South West England. Contact us directly at a and let's talk.

• Being a STEM Ambassador is a fully flexible volunteering position, requiring an individual to commit to participating in just 2 or 3 volunteering days a year. This commitment is often supported by an employer through their social value work, and in research settings it can help fulfil institutional or grant-based widening participation, outreach or pubic engagement requirements.
• Prospective STEM Ambassadors need to create a profile on , complete basic safeguarding training, agree to a code of conduct and undergo a DBS check. This can all be completed online.
• Once approved, volunteers are expected to keep their STEM Ambassador profile up to date, read and respond to messages from activity organisers, record their STEM volunteering hours, and participate in additional training (where necessary). Once a STEM Ambassador has agreed to take part in an activity they should endeavour to prepare thoroughly and keep that appointment as a priority.
• STEM Ambassadors participate in activities either directly with young people (ages 5-18), or in activities that provide support for the adults in regular contact with young people (e.g. teachers, careers advisors, community leaders, museums & libraries staff, etc). The majority of activities are in‑person, often in a school or on site, but they can also take place online via video conferencing (e.g. Teams).
• STEM Ambassador activities should have some link to STEM - science, technology, engineering, maths - and can be subject specific, or more generic, e.g. about careers in a sector. Exactly what happens in an activity is specific to each interaction, but there many many sources of inspiration and resources available to help volunteers and those requesting their support deliver memorable, impactful interactions.
  
  SW England STEM Ambassadors is once such source of support, and we are available to support any STEM Ambassador volunteering in the region.

Sound like something you'd be interested in? Get in touch today! a

• Individuals with a background, expertise, and/or keen amateur interest in any STEM‑related area.
• Individuals who are keen to engage younger audiences in impactful activities relating to their STEM background, expertise and/or area of interest.
• Individuals who are committed to the principles of safeguarding with respect to working with young people in educational and community settings.
• Individuals who are committed to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion when it comes to encouraging participation in STEM.
• Individuals who like to have fun and answer a lot (and we mean a lot!) of questions about space, scratch, sodium, shark attacks, stinging nettles, silly string, saving lives, saving the planet... anything and everything!

Even if you have not done much of this yet, by becoming a STEM Ambassador you'll get the opportunity to build your skills through multiple experiences - learning by doing! Contact us today on a if you think what you have to offer could make you a great STEM Ambassador.

• Access to opportunities all across SW England to engage young people in activities that raise their level of awareness, engagement and involvement with STEM.
• Develop a portfolio of STEM engagement activities and experience that you can share with a network of like‑minded people across the country.
• Support wider efforts to build a larger and more diverse STEM workforce for the future.
• Have more of these: "One of the best days at work that I've had in a long time!"