Students say it’s ‘STEM4Me’ and for all with science outreach initiative

Explaining the ‘appliance of science’ means University of Northampton (UON) students are developing their communication skills as they inspire children.

The STEM4Me (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) initiative was created in 2020 by Senior Lecturer in Developmental and Educational Psychology Dr Josephine Chen-Wilson, taking her passion for science out of Waterside and into the community.

UON students from Computing, Psychology and Sport Science work together and deliver STEM workshops for local school children from lower socio-economic backgrounds to help enlighten and inspire them – and their teachers – about science.

Jo has created a mini army to inspire more children and young people to look more closely at these fields. Since the idea started, there have been more than 30 STEM4Me students.

One of the STEM4Me students is Jesutomisin Adeagbo. She is in the final year of her degree in Psychology and Counselling. She talks about why she joined STEM4Me and what she has been doing: “I love psychology and wanted to share my passion for the subject and science. I like presenting and talking, but I wanted to build on these skills and develop my confidence at the same time.

“For my most recent STEM4Me activity, we gave a workshop to help train third year teaching students at UON about the science of psychology and how they could apply this to their lessons. We showed them how accessible science is and empowered them.

“There are great teachers from all backgrounds in our schools and they teach a diverse group of students. I feel it could further enhance students’ education if more of their teachers share similar life experiences. This could mean having more male teachers (which could encourage boys) or having more teachers who from a BAME background, such as myself, which could encourage students from those communities.

“I’ve done a few workshops and teacher training sessions now and am keener to give presentations. Before, I was hesitant, but now it has transformed me into a person who is eager to speak and puts themselves forward to do public speaking.”

Holly Griffiths is also in the same year of the same course and adds to Jesutomisin’s views: “I love teaching and already give some volunteering ‘lectures’ with the Sea Cadets as STEM is part of their curriculum. Being a younger woman who previously did not know she could go into the ‘science avenue’, I have used this to tell girls about this opportunity and share my passion for science.

“STEM4Me helps us reach out to diverse groups of children to teach as broad a range of people as possible that they can go into STEM as a career.

“In the final analysis, what I’ve enjoyed most about STEM4Me has been the all-round experience. Formulating the sessions, gaining the confidence to present, stepping outside my comfort zone and not to fear being judged. Even if I have inspired just one person’s appreciation of STEM, I think it’s amazing to have been part of that transformation.”