By Natricha Levy McFarlane
You have made it through 2020! Take a moment to celebrate.
We are now half-way through the first month of 2021. This is usually a time when we reflect, analyze where we are in life and set goals we hope to accomplish for the year.
When it comes to a career, you may have no idea what you want to do. You may be thinking through different options, or you may have your career choice all figured out with a nicely laid out plan of how to get there.
Regardless of where you are in your career choice journey, if at all you are curious about the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) SOSA has programs that can help you.
Never thought about a career in STEM? Check out our programs, you may just be inspired.
What is SOSA?
The Society for Scientific Advancement (SOSA) is a community formed by scientists to nurture, guide and expose youth from underserved communities to the varied career opportunities available in STEM fields. By doing this, SOSA aims to facilitate the development of these underserved communities through scientific research and STEM education.
This year (2021) SOSA celebrates 10 years of positively impacting the lives of youth across the Caribbean and as far away as the African continent! Many have benefitted from the different programs hosted by SOSA. A former participant of one of our programs commented, “I wasn't sure what career and educational path I wanted to pursue but [now] I know about a lot of different careers in STEM which I could pursue.”
You can share in these experiences too. Check out the various programs offered by SOSA throughout the year and see if any fascinates you. You can attend one, or all!
SOSA programs for 2021
SOSA generally hosts a slate of programs throughout the year that you can take advantage of. Look through the list below to see whether any appeals to you.
- SOSA's 2nd Virtual Career Fair (February 20, 2021)
With the current pandemic causing us to adjust how we do things, SOSA hosted its first virtual career fair in 2020 and it was a resounding success. We plan to follow up on this success by hosting a second virtual career fair on February 20, 2021.
This event will focus on careers in the medical field. Join us and get a chance to interact with medical doctors and physician assistants as they share what it took to get them where they are. You will hear about what you need to have/do to get into the medical field and the day-to-day work that you can expect to do once you get there. You will also get a chance to have your questions answered by these professionals.
This career fair will be especially beneficial if you are a high school student transitioning to university or college or if you are presently enrolled in undergraduate studies.
- Data Science Virtual Fair (March)
SOSA hopes to expand its STEM program offering by hosting a data science fair in March. This event will provide insight into the world of data science for students and professionals who are interested in this area and want to learn more.
- Virtual Summer STEPS (June and July)
STEM Talent Expansion through Promotion of Science (STEPS) is a workshop hosted by SOSA where students are given the opportunity to experience science up-close. In these hands-on workshops, students get to perform actual scientific experiments guided by scientists. Students are introduced to scientific concepts and their real-world applications through interactive, fun activities.
SOSA took STEPS online in 2020 in response to the pandemic. In workshops held in June and July, students learned about epidemiology, virology, computer science, non-communicable diseases and different fields of engineering. They interacted with science professionals in question-and-answer sessions.
These workshops target students in middle school and high school. Look out for some more interesting topics this year!
- STEPS 2021 (November 17, 2021)
Another series of STEPS workshops are usually held in November for students 9-14 years old. Climate change and nutrigenomics were the focus in 2020. Follow us to see what exciting areas we will cover this year!
- Annual Conference (November 18 – 19, 2021)
Each November, SOSA concludes a year of activities with a 2-day scientific conference. Here, junior and senior scientists get a chance to share the work they are doing. The conference is usually held in Jamaica but went online in 2020. Join us if you can for some fascinating discussions in 2021.
There you have it. A list of programs that you can participate in during 2021 to help guide you and hopefully clarify what it is like to be in a STEM field. Follow us on social media for updated information as it becomes available. You will learn more about each program and how to participate or volunteer and who knows, there might just be some new programs added!