About STEMpals
Written by Junming He
STEMpals is a program that aims to connect Australian grade five and six students to STEM enthusiasts through a letter exchange program, because they believe that “You Can’t Be, Who You Can’t See”. Their mission aims to empower the next generation to be scientifically literate and curious about our natural world. The motto draws in the belief that everyone should have access to inspiring STEM mentors, especially children. The idea that one letter exchange per school term can positively impact a child’s interest in science is truly inspiring. STEMpals believes that your insights can help educators nurture young minds and spark lifelong curiosity in Australia. Through STEMpals, every student is paired with a STEM professional who shares a common passion, thus transforming every learning into a tailor-made adventure.
CIPPS PhD student, Adele Gonsalvez, first learned about the STEMpals program through CIPPS, then in early 2024 when a call for volunteers was made, she decided to join in on the fun. Exchanging physical letters has become a lost art since the establishment of e-mail communication, but its effectiveness to communicate personal thoughts to foster a deeper connection with your peers has not been forgotten. Adele’s experience as a STEMpal professional has encouraged younger students to learn more about STEM, and possibly improved their visualisation of what a scientist looks like. “Given the opportunity to share your interest in STEM with a student considering STEM as a possible career path or just encouraging them to follow what they are passionate about, is always really exciting. The ability to have a small impact on the way they think about STEM and who can work in STEM fields is also rewarding. When I was growing up, these types of mentoring programs have had a positive impact on me, and I am grateful whenever I have the chance to do the same for someone else.”
“I believe that anyone who wants to share their experiences in science to inspire incoming STEM professionals should get involved with the STEMpals program. Tailoring your letters to focus on your STEMpal’s interests, both within STEM and outside the field, can help make your letters more personalised and informative for the student to read. When I am writing a letter, I always try to tie in what I am working on in the lab to a school topic they are learning in class, or tie into one of their hobbies to encourage them to think more about STEM.”
If you are a busy STEM professional, and want to boost your volunteering and mentorship commitments, then STEMpals is for you. From Adele’s experience, time investment for STEMpals is approximately five hours across the entire year, writing three letters and receiving three letters.
The premise behind STEMpals is “You Can’t Be, Who You Can’t See” so not only is it about inspiring students to learn more about STEM, but it also provides them a platform to ask a real scientist questions to understand what cool and exciting STEM activities are out there, waiting for them to discover as a possible career pathway in the near future.
You will be writing three letters in one year. Each of the three letters you send has an underlying theme that helps guide the process:
1) Getting to know each other
2) Getting to know about STEM, and
3) Reflect and inspire
Through these letters, you will outline the STEM work you do, your journey in STEM, and how your STEM superpowers help the world, animals, and people around you. At the beginning of the program, you will receive the necessary training resources to guide you on this journey. You will then be paired with a student based on their hobbies and a shared passion. Throughout the exchange, you will have the opportunity to answer questions and share fun stories. “This led to a lot of conversations about books we were reading, music we were listening to at the time, and of course sharing fun facts on platypus. There was a really fun exercise at the start of the program where your STEMpal draws what they think a STEM professional looks like, then again at the end of the program. You get to see how their visualisation of a STEM professional changes throughout the interaction.”
Adele also comments that “STEMpals is a great program to be a part of because it allows me to talk about my STEM experiences, and to connect with students who otherwise may not know another person in my field of STEM. STEMpals only requires a few moments of your time across the entire year, and it is fun to exchange letters with curious STEMpals knowing that you are potentially inspiring their pathway into STEM.”
For more information go to https://stempals.org.au/