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May 11 2017

Meet an eMentor: Jessica Li

By Profiles

IMG_2899What are you studying, and what do you like about it? I’m currently studying a Bachelor in Science, majoring in Molecular Biology, at La Trobe University, Bendigo. The course allows us to choose electives from other faculties and has allowed me to explore the areas of anatomy, pathology and physiology and allowed me to find the links and how it is relevant to what I am learning in my core subjects in a practical view.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? I became a mentor because I wanted to inspire young students that there is so much more to STEM then what is in the class room. I feel like I was greatly inspired by my biology teacher in high school who continually fueled my curiosity and I want to return that to upcoming students.

Tell us about your In2science placement. For my placement I am an eMentor. This means I video conference with my students at Camperdown College once a week. It has been a challenge to figure out ways to engage the students over video as activities that can be done is very limited. However, I have learnt a lot about how to engage people, even when there is a screen separating you.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The best thing is when you see the students eyes light up when you hit something that they are interested in. They may not enjoy what they’re learning in class but the interest is still there, and when you find it, it is very rewarding.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? The biggest challenge I have come upon is building that connection with the students when they may not be available every week. A big part of being a mentor is having the trust between you and the student that they are comfortable to talk to you about school and what they want to do in the future. And it is very hard to build that when you see them a once a week, and at times you don’t see a student for a couple of weeks due to school events or holidays.

What inspired you to study what you are studying? I was always a curious child and when I started science in high school and I loved the practical side and loved that moment when everything we learnt in theory clicked when applied in practical classes. As I went through high school I was drawn to the microscopic side of science and the further I got the more curious I got and I wanted to know why and how. I guess I was inspired by my teacher’s questions and encouragement to keep helping me along the way.

What message do you hope to pass onto the students you are mentoring? I want them to know that there is so much to discover and to keep asking why and how. I want them to know to keep trying and not to let what others say stop them to reach where they want to go, because there is always a way if you keep trying.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? I want to go into haematology/biochemistry in a hospital lab or pathology. It’s all a big puzzle with haematology and biochem. You get given a list of results to certain tests and you need to work out what is wrong with the patient. Pathology interests me because there is still so much that isn’t known and I would love to figure just a fraction of that puzzle.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, mathematician or engineer, who would it be and why? Probably Rosalind Franklin or Dorothy Hodgkin. Rosalind was discouraged by her father because he thought that women would find it difficult to be recognised as scientists at the time. But she went onto become an expert in graphite structure and discover there were two forms of DNA,  as well as demonstrated that DNA was a double helix using X-Ray crystallography.

Dorothy had support behind her from friends and family, but was excluded from research meetings because she was a woman. However she went onto help determine the structure of penicillin and the structure of vitamin B12 and how it prevented pernicious anaemia. Dorothy won a Noble Prize for her work in this area.  

What advice would you give other students looking to get involved in the In2science program? Give it a shot, it’s definitely an opportunity to be taken. It allows you to be involved in inspiring possible future STEM students and is rewarding in a way that is hard to explain. There is a feeling of achievement and pride when a students says they understand something or want to know more.

 

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Apr 26 2017

Meet a Mentor: Margaret Ngugi

By Profiles
Margaret Ngugi

In2science mentor Margaret Ngugi

What are you studying, and what do you like about it? I am currently in my third year studying Bachelor of Aviation Management/Bachelor of Business at Swinburne University of Technology. I am interested in the workings of the aviation industry as its development is fast paced and very dynamic, but above all I like the degree I am doing because it involves planes.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? I have always loved mathematics, ever since primary school. I feel this was mostly thanks to the awesome mathematics teachers I had and the fact that I found maths straightforward. I became an In2science mentor because I wanted to give back to the community. I want to help younger students with mathematics, making sure that they enjoy studying it and that they see how it can allow them to pursue their dreams.

Tell us about your In2science placement. This semester I am volunteering in a year 8 maths & coding class at Bayswater Secondary College. My placement so far has been more about coding than maths, which felt terrifying at first because I had no previous experience in coding. However, I am learning the various programs and I’ve become convinced that coding is actually pretty amazing. It’s also been a great conversation starter with the students. For example, the students were recently programming their own websites and I would assist them in coming up with ideas. Moreover, the teacher Amanda has been very understanding and has incorporated me in the classroom despite my lack of formal expertise.

How do maths and coding combine in the classroom? To understand coding you need to have a basic maths background, since most coding is essentially logical thinking.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The fact that I get to enhance and influence someone’s future in a positive way is the biggest positive for me.

What’s the biggest challenge about In2science? Building rapport with unwilling students can very challenging and requires lots of patience.

What inspired you to study what you are studying? I am interested in piloting but also want to have a degree related to the aviation sector more broadly.

What message do you hope to pass onto the students in your In2science class? Working to accomplish your dreams and desires in life is never easy, but it’s worth it.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, mathematician or engineer, who would it be and why? Captain Irene Koki Mutungi. She was the first female on the African continent to become certified as a Captain of the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” aircraft. I would love to meet her and speak with her about her experience in the aviation sector, especially as a woman.

What advice would you give other students looking to get involved in the In2science program? In2science has been a very rewarding program. I have been able to make an impact in someone’s life and give back to the community, all while gaining professional skills and attending useful workshops [such as the ACER ‘Having Fun With Maths’ workshop]. I would therefore advise any and all students to take a chance with In2science and watch how it changes their lives for the better.

 

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Apr 25 2017

Selby Foundation Supporting Mentor Development

By News
The Selby Scientific Foundation was established in 1980 by E.J. Selby (left) supported by brother B.A. Selby (right). Images courtesy of the Selby Scientific Foundation.

The Selby Scientific Foundation was established in 1980 by E.J. Selby (left) supported by brother B.A. Selby (right). Images courtesy of the Selby Scientific Foundation.

This year In2science is fortunate to receive financial support from the Selby Scientific Foundation to provide mentors with professional development opportunities. The aim of the Foundation is to support scientific education and research in Australia. They provide grants, fellowships and awards to support science education and research from the secondary school level through to advanced research by distinguished international scientists.

In addition to benefiting secondary students from disadvantaged backgrounds, a key feature of In2science is the benefits and improved educational outcomes for university students who volunteer their time to be mentors. During classroom placements, mentors develop their confidence, communication, interpersonal and professional skills, while gaining first-hand experience of teaching to consider it as a vocational pathway.

The grant from the Selby Scientific Foundation allows In2science to expand the quality and range of professional development sessions provided to mentors. Professional development sessions provide high quality communication and professional skills for mentors to use not only during placements, but also in their studies and into employment. Furthermore it is a fantastic opportunity to acknowledge the sustained voluntary commitment of mentors and their contribution to high school students’ science and maths education.

Veteran In2science mentor and new staff member, Rachael McCullough

Thanks to the generous support of the Selby Foundation, we are also excited to introduce you to our new staff member Rachael McCullough! Rachael will be leading our new mentor professional development sessions.

Rachael is no stranger to In2science. She has completed two in-class mentoring placements at Maribyrnong College and John Fawkner College and is currently studying a Bachelor of Science majoring in Ecology and Evolution with a concurrent diploma in Mathematical Sciences at The University of Melbourne.

Rachael is well placed to share her experiences to make professional development opportunities as relevant and productive as possible for mentors. She is passionate about science and maths education and particularly wants to encourage girls to thrive in STEM. She wants to provide mentors with as many opportunities as possible with the thought that even small workshops or activities can turn into quite important elements of their future studies and career.

 

Look out for stories on our mentor professional development events in future newsletters!

Mar 27 2017

Meet a Mentor: Andreas Alzate

By Profiles

In2science mentor Andreas Alzate

What have you studied, and why did you like it? I studied a Graduate Certificate in Science (Pure Mathematics) at The University of Melbourne. I am a mechanical engineer but my real passion has always been mathematics, so I decided to stop working as an engineer and went back to university to study pure mathematics.

Tell us about your In2science placement. My placement was at Mt Alexander College. I enjoyed working with students from different ethnic backgrounds and they were always very respectful towards me. I believe that I helped the students not only with their understanding of mathematics, but also with their perception that people who like mathematics are boring and uninteresting. I learned so much about myself and about teaching. Thanks to the In2science experience, I decided to change my career from engineering to education.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? I wanted to make a positive contribution to society through education and also to promote STEM careers. In2science was the perfect opportunity for me in order to achieve these goals.

What’s the best thing about In2science? To be able to help students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. I had the opportunity to be in a high school classroom and this led me to consider a career in education.

What’s the most challenging thing about In2science? My experience with In2science was very positive. The worst thing was having to leave the classroom at the end of the placement after having developed positive relationships with the students.

What inspired you to study a STEM field? In my opinion, mathematics is one of the most coherent, solid, fascinating and beautiful human endeavors that I know of.

What did you want to do after university and why? This year, I am teaching Mathematics at Cranbourne Secondary College as part of a Master of Teaching (Secondary) Internship at the University of Melbourne. After having completed my In2science placement, I discovered that I am very passionate about education and decided to change careers to become a school teacher!

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist or mathematician, who would it be and why? It would be the mathematician Alexander Grothendieck. He was not only one of the greatest mathematicians of the twentieth century, but he was also a person concerned about social issues and he was a political activist and pacifist.

 

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Mar 27 2017

New Mentors Trained Up and Ready to Go

By News

After recruiting and interviewing undergraduate STEM students who can’t wait to share their enthusiasm for science, In2science training prepared mentors to enter the classroom. A total of 128 new in-person mentors and eMentors were trained in the final stage of mentor induction before being matched with schools to begin placements.

In2science mentors at La Trobe University getting to know each other

In2science mentors at La Trobe University getting to know each other

 

The sessions at each of the four partner universities covered a range of topics to equip new mentors with the skills for maximising their impact on placements. They ranged from explaining science and maths to make them relevant to the lives of young people, to awareness of the various learning styles of students and tips for working with a teacher in the classroom.

Josh Farr from Teach For Australia gave new mentors an insight into the teachers perspective

Josh Farr from Teach For Australia gave new mentors an insight into the teachers perspective

 

The new mentors were fortunate to be visited from representatives of Teach For Australia, Josh Farr, who visited Swinburne University of Technology, The University of Melbourne, and RMIT University, and Lauren Smith at La Trobe University. Josh and Lauren gave the mentors an excellent insight into the perspective of teachers, fostering a growth mindset in students, and preparing  for various behaviors of students.

Lauren Smith from Teach for Australia

Lauren Smith from Teach for Australia

 

In2science mentors-in-training at Swinburne University of Technology test out some hands on demonstrations.

In2science mentors-in-training at Swinburne University of Technology test out some hands on demonstrations.

The training for new eMentors was delivered on the same online video platform that they will be using to connect with their mentees at regional schools during placement. The eMentors were given first hand practice at communicating via the platform and using its features, such as screen sharing, drawing and the use of virtual rooms for breakout discussions. It was also a good opportunity for eMentors to encounter some limitations of the medium and learn strategies to overcome them.

The mentors now get to use their skills and enthusiasm where it counts – in the classroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Mar 27 2017

Mentors Having Fun With Maths

By Events
In2science mentors l-r Abhi Gupta and Andy Quan from the University of Melbourne and Margaret Ngugi from Swinburne University of Technology at the Australian Council for Educational Research.

In2science mentors L-R Abhi Gupta and Andy Quan from the University of Melbourne and Margaret Ngugi from Swinburne University of Technology at the Australian Council for Educational Research.

Students learn better when they are having fun, so learning how to make maths fun is a serious business. Mentors from The University of Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology and RMIT University attended a professional development workshop provided by the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER) that provided practical methods for increasing the fun of maths in the classroom.

The day provided mentors with some great examples of language use and activities from everyday life to make maths more engaging and accessible for everyone in the classroom.

“This was a fresh perspective instead of the usual focus on content,” said Abhi Gupta, a mentor from The University of Melbourne who is working with students at Mercy College.

“Dave Tout engaged us on how maths can be better taught, especially for students who have a challenged background: by using mathematical concepts from day to day experiences, getting them to solve logic problems cooperatively, playing competitive games which rely on maths and digging deep into their understanding bottlenecks. Thanks to the In2science program for the opportunity!”

Swinburne mentor Margaret Ngugi, who mentors at Bayswater Secondary College said it changed her perspective on how maths can be taught. “It was really great and an eye opener into how the teaching system can be much more engaging and enjoyable.”

Activities included written and numerical logic problems to be completed cooperatively as well as ideas for games and resources. For example, did you know a smartie weighs exactly 1 gram with huge variation in the number and type found in a packet?

Not only did the workshop arm mentors with skills, ideas and tools for the classroom but it also provided further maths-specific conversation points and tips to be covered in the training provided to all mentors before placements.

Thanks to Dave Tout from ACER for providing the training, and the Selby Scientific Foundation for financially supporting the professional development of our mentors.

Mar 02 2017

Meet a Mentor: Grace Curtis

By Profiles
Grace Curtis

In2science mentor Grace Curtis

What are you studying, and what do you like about it? I’m studying a Bachelor of Science (Applied Chemistry) at RMIT University. I love science, I’ve always loved science. I love how it is infinitely complex and tells us things from the composition of all matter, to the expansion of the known universe. I believe that through studying science I have developed a mindset that allows me to think critically and methodically in all areas of life, not just in the classroom, a skill many scientists would say is their greatest asset. Science is always developing, new theories and discoveries are always being made and I suppose the ever-changing nature of science is what has attracted me to study it at a higher education level. The possibilities in STEM are as infinite as our universe.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? In high school I never really had that someone who was able to tell me about science at a university level and even as a career, science was purely learnt in the classroom. When it came time to choose what to do at a higher education level, I knew I loved science, I knew I was good at it, but I didn’t really know where it could lead in the future. That made me unsure about what career options I could have or if science was all research and I’d have to remain at university forever. My overall aim through being an In2science mentor was to share my passion for science with young people who, like me, may not have had that person to show them the potential career opportunities the world of science can offer, and to show that anyone has the potential to succeed in science.

Tell us about your In2science placement. My In2science placement was at Bayside College in Williamstown with a year 8 science class in semester 2 2016. I was placed in a class which had a number students who needed extra help. Their teacher believed my passion for science may ignite their interest. While a significant element of my placement was assisting students with classwork, I was able to build a greater rapport with a small number of students, developing discussions around my evolving career in the world of science and my journey through high school.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The best thing was getting to know all the students in the class. Being able to help them with any problems and seeing them understanding a problem or a principle after I discussed and explained it with them was extremely rewarding.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? The biggest challenge I found was making myself relatable to the students. Even though I’m still a student myself, they view me as an adult and at first a teacher-like figure in the classroom. Breaking down that initial barrier to be able to build rapport with them was the greatest challenge.

What inspired you to study what you are studying? As long as I can remember I’ve wanted to know, how do things work? Why do they happen? What effect do they have on the world or how do they interact with the world? I’ve always had a lot of questions. To me, science provides the opportunity to seek out those answers.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? As my career at university continues to develop I am seriously considering the opportunities that may be available to me in the area of medical research, specifically, cancer research. I believe that there is so much more to discover about this disease, its diagnosis and treatment.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, mathematician or engineer, who would it be and why? Marie Curie would be my first choice because she was the first woman to have won a Nobel Prize in two fields of science while overcoming extreme prejudice and discrimination of the time.

What advice would you give other students looking to get involved in the In2science program? Just do it. The rewards are incredibly inspiring and motivating. It is an extremely rewarding program that has allowed me to connect with and hopefully inspire future scientists, while also providing me the opportunity to test my own knowledge of science.

 

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Mar 02 2017

In2science Engages Future Educators

By News

TFA expo Jan 2017Innovative approaches to teaching STEM was the topic of conversation at Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, in January. In2science was invited to share the benefits of peer mentoring with future secondary science and mathematics teachers at The Innovations in Education Marketplace, organised by Teach For Australia for its 2016 and 2017 Cohorts. The exhibition featured a range of innovative STEM education providers.

At the In2science stall, Program Manager Joanna Oreo and La Trobe University Coordinator Oliver Barrand, spoke with many Associates from Victoria and Interstate. The Associates were interested to hear about the impact of volunteer student mentors in keeping secondary students engaged with their STEM studies. 

“We focus specifically on low socioeconomic schools, so for many of the high school students it might be the first time they’ve had a meaningful encounter with a university student,” Jo told Associates.

A number of Associates were keen to sign up for updates on the program, with several Victorian Associates expressing interest in registering for the program.

The event brought together Teach For Australia Associates from across the country, and was an opportunity for them to get up to date on the latest innovations in STEM education that they could employ in the classroom.

 

Read more about the event on Teach For Australia’s news page.

Dec 09 2016

2016 Reflections

By News
The number of mentor placements in 2016 by region.

The number of mentor placements in 2016 by region.

Welcome to the final post for 2016. The In2science Awards night was a fantastic way to celebrate the end of what has been a very busy, productive and successful year.

  • Specalised mentor training and support: the team has focused on specific mentor training based around growth mindset, mentoring, and enhancing science communication skills.
  • Staff professional development: the In2science team has attended numerous workshops and presented at conferences, all focused around increasing students’ engagement and aspirations in STEM.
  • Mentor manager and placement application: In 2017, coordinators will be able to visually see a mentor’s location in relation to a school and match mentors availability with teachers requests based on times and common interests.
  • Additional funding to launch and accelerate online mentoring for regional schools: Feedback from the 2016 pilot has been overwhelmingly positive.  We look forward to expanding this in 2017.

2016 numbersFeedback and support about the In2science program has been extremely positive.  Preliminary analysis of survey results reveal that, after having an In2science mentor, students:

  • are more confident in science and maths
  • are more likely to know how to find information to help them solve a science problem
  • enjoy finding out answers to science questions
  • identify that the problem solving skills they use in science can be helpful in everyday life; and
  • recognise that studying VCE science/maths subjects at year 12 will give them lots of options

What the students say

“The mentor didn’t give me the answers but helped me work through all the problems”
– Year 8 maths student

“I have learnt a lot from my mentor. Insights of uni life and her future career have been great to think about for my future”
– Year 8 science student

What the teachers say

“The mentor must have instilled something in the students that is very rare and hard to achieve in a secondary college – Intrinsic motivation”
– Kylie Lambert, Maffra Secondary College

What the mentors say

“Students became more engaged with the work when we worked together”
– Selda Ekri, In2science mentor

 

We would like to thank the Chair, The Honourable Professor John Brumby, for his support and leadership and all Advisory Board members for their ongoing commitment to ensuring the program is well governed.

In2science is fortunate to have a team of highly motivated and dedicated staff.  The team is looking forward to working with current and new partner schools and further expanding the program to support digital learning and girls in STEM in 2017.

Dec 09 2016

2016 In2science Awards Recognises Outstanding Achievements

By Awards, Events, News

The Hon. Prof. John Brumby, In2science Chairman, introduces the 2016 In2science Awards

The 2016 In2science Awards recently recognised and celebrated the outstanding achievements and outcomes in STEM engagement through the In2science peer mentoring program.

In2science chairman, The Honourable Professor John Brumby, presented awards to mentors from all four partner universities, and three partner schools at the Melbourne Museum Theatre on Thursday 1st of December.

Professor Brumby opened the proceedings by praising the continuing efforts of the mentors, teachers, and supporters of In2science. He highlighted the need addressed by the program, “We all know that we’ve got a huge continuing challenge in this area. More results have come out on maths achievement in Australia, and the reality is that this is an area where Australia is really challenged. We look at the countries around us in the world, Singapore and South Korea and Malaysia and now China, they are making big investments into STEM.”

Despite this, Professor Brumby was upbeat about the achievements of In2science, “Tonight is about celebrating the success of the last year. Success in a re-invigorated form. 45 schools, 4 universities. Outstanding engagement from all of the participants. I think it’s true to say that the program is now stronger than ever.”

To recognise the efforts of mentors, there were five award categories. To read more detail about the award winners and finalists, click here.

 

In2science Awards winners, staff and university representatives with The Hon. Prof. John Brumby, In2science Chairman.

 

The Mentor Impact Award for the mentor that made the greatest positive impact in engaging students in science or maths went to Selda Ekri from Swinburne University of Technology.

The Role Model Award for the mentor recognised as an outstanding role model for their student mentees was accepted by Andres Alzate of The University of Melbourne.

The Dedication Award for the mentor that showed greatest dedication and commitment to the In2science program was awarded to Tarik Zepcan of La Trobe University.

The Above and Beyond Award for the mentor that showed greatest initiative in engaging students in science or maths went to Shelley Haslett of RMIT University.

The eMentoring Award for the most dedicated university mentor in the online eMentoring program was given to Mitchell Griggs of La Trobe University.

Three awards were given to teachers and schools for their support of In2science mentors.

Teacher Kylie Lambert from Maffra Secondary College traveled nearly three hours to attend the awards and accept the Mentor Support Award for the classroom teacher who provided the most supportive mentoring environment.

The Teacher Program Commitment Award for the classroom teacher that showed the greatest commitment to the In2science program went to Jessica Sartori from Brunswick Secondary College.

The School Program Commitment Award for the school that demonstrated the greatest engagement with the In2science program was awarded to Bundoora Secondary College, and was accepted on the night by link teacher Ross Goddard.

eMentoring Award winner Mitchell Griggs delivered a mentor reflection in which he highlighted the importance of the In2science program in helping to increase levels of achievement in science and maths in Australian schools, which he said have plateaued over the last 20 years according to the 2015 TIMSS report. Mitchell also reflected on the benefits he had gained from multiple placement rounds both in-class and online, “My education, both formal and otherwise was greatly enriched by the experience of being an In2science mentor, and my perspective broadened and informed about the importance of science communication and education.”

Following the official proceedings, the mentors and teachers mixed over drinks and canapes in the foyer with other guests including representatives of the four partner universities, as well as members of government and industry.

 

For full details about the 2016 In2science Award winners and finalists, click here.

To access the 2016 In2science Awards photo gallery, click here.

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