Debi Roberts, Award Leader for the Automotive and Motorsport Awards at Staffordshire University, gives her personal view on volunteering at STEM activities…

“I’m not normally one for making this blog personal – while there might be the odd personal reflection in an entry, I’ve always tried to make sure that this blog reflects the courses it represents, that I am responsible for, in my role as Award Leader for Automotive and Motorsport, rather than it being me standing on my soapbox offering opinion on everything. However given how personal the STEM Ambassador scheme is to me – how it was one of the activities that gave me confidence to step out side my comfort zone as a new lecturer – perhaps it’s entirely fitting that this entry takes on a personal tone.

Standing at 8:30 am on a quiet but windswept former airfield just outside Stafford, after only one cup of coffee (or even worse, only one cup of earl grey!), likely doesn’t sound like most people’s first idea of a fun day away from the office – but then, this is me!

Around me, a group of volunteers from various companies and industries – coming together to build safety barriers and set up for the events going on during the day.

The Seighford site was about to become the venue for a range of motorsport events – a drag race, timed lap and slalom challenge took up the morning before a set of races consisting of heats and a final took place in the afternoon. All of the teams were local schools and the cars?  These were Greenpower Formula Goblins – designed for 9 -11 year old school children to experience engineering within the curriculum.

Newcastle Under Lyme School (with thanks to the School for the image)

This is an event I’ve volunteered for a number of times over the years – the excitement and the energy of the children always reminds me why I became a STEM Ambassador in the first place – to use my passion and experience to inspire others, but to make sure they have fun at the same time. I guess my experience as a Brownie Leader and a University Lecturer mean that it becomes very easy for me to step into that ambassador role, and I tend to make a beeline for events where I am leading an event or section of an event – playing on my strengths I guess! However there are so many roles that are needed at the various STEM events over the year – something for everyone.

As usual I was part of the team managing the slalom event – great because it gives me a chance to work with another STEM Ambassador and former colleague Alex. While a huge benefit of the STEM Ambassador role is getting to work with different groups and people, some of whom you wouldn’t generally see in your work environment, sometimes it is nice to work with colleagues, both past and present. Especially when you’d worked together for almost a decade (ouch – cue feeling just a little bit old on realising that!) – the part of the event that you’ve been involved in seems to run just that little bit more smoothly.

Kingsland Academy’s video of the event below (reproduced here with the school’s permission) gives an idea of the day’s events.

The day ends of a prize giving for the teams with a multitude of categories, these are awarded by Phil Brocklehurst of the local IMechE branch and myself in my Staffordshire University, Senior Lecturer role (thanks to Malcolm and Kevin for delightfully dropping this on me at the last minute!). Another thing I’ve found when working as a STEM Ambassador or volunteer – always be flexible!

Newcastle under Lyme School wining the main award at Seighford. (Picture kindly provided by the school)

So, as a STEM Ambassador, you can bring a passion for your area of STEM, or perhaps any area. You can help to engage and enthuse young minds and perhaps even educate them on a new area. More than that though, as is often the case, the teacher becomes the student – you can stretch yourself, increase your confidence and remind yourself just why you became interested in science, technology, engineering or mathematics in the first place. I’m working on encouraging my students and graduates to became more involved in STEM activities as it will give them just as much as the people they work with.”