SOSA takes pride in its volunteer opportunities! Our STEPS workshop is designed to excite and ignite the love of science in each young person who engages in the activities. We have found that not only does the workshop make a difference in the lives of our young students, but also in the lives of our volunteers. Volunteers for STEPS include anyone with a love for science ranging from local undergraduate students, to those who travel from the U.S. to seek a cultural volunteer opportunity, to graduate students, health professionals, college professors and even retirees. What we have experienced over the years is growth for all. Each person can touch the life of another, learn and grow from this experience. Our STEPS students rave about our volunteers making comments such as “I did not interact with scientists before, but today I did and it was really fun!” and our November 2018 workshop feedback indicated 97% of the students believed their interaction with STEPS scientists positively influenced how they now thought about science. Our volunteers come away with an equally rewarding experience, stating feelings of gratitude and that the passion for learning that the students show is inspirational. The cross-cultural experience of those who travel to volunteer for STEPS, as one volunteer described as, “Extremely beneficial and really opened my eyes to the world outside of my community putting things into perspective regarding our priorities vs. those in another country.” STEPS was designed to ignite the love of science in young people, but we have found that each person at our workshop impacts the life of the other. Each one reaches another!
Source: www.globalgiving.org