UFV began a partnership between the Faculty of Science and the organization Let’s Talk Science (LTS) this year to bring volunteer opportunities to UFV students.
The LTS and UFV partnership outreach program focuses on education and outreach to children and youth in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Educators work with the LTS organization to bring its programs to schools across Canada. The organization advocates STEM literacy by visiting schools and engaging students in creative and challenging ways.
“UFV students that volunteer with LTS will play a role in a national effort to empower youth to fulfill their potential and prepare for their future careers and roles as citizens,” David Morea Perea, UFV site coordinator for LTS, said in an email. “[UFV students] will also gain important communication skills and will be exposed to networking opportunities for their professional development.”
At this time, volunteer work does not go towards UFVs co-curricular record program, but Perea said it is being looked into.
There are no requirements to volunteer outside of enthusiasm, according to Perea. Students can volunteer as many hours as they wish, and don’t need to be directly studying in STEM. New volunteers go through a training session that takes about one and a half hours.
Leading this initiative are site coordinator Perea and coordinators Jason Thomas and Greg Schlitt from UFV’s Faculty of Science.
LTS also provides support to educators that seek to teach a more unique learning program that sparks the kinesthetic learning style, where students learning by doing rather than reading or receiving a lecture. Some of the programs offered by LTS are Tomatosphere, Indigenous Initiatives, CurioCity, and Idea Park. LTS mainly offers programs oriented towards children, however they also host engaging events for high school students.
Emmaline is working on her BA and ambitions to become an English teacher. They always say, those who cannot do, teach. She spends her free time buying, reading, and hoarding books with the hope that one day she will have no furniture and instead only have piles of books.
