Bridging the STEM Resources Gap: A Volunteer’s Journey
Personal & Professional Growth
Volunteering with Pueblo, I have had to be innovative and use my technical engineering and education skills to use locally available resources, and learn to interface affordable electronics in our science workshops. Working in Canada, we are privileged to have access to many educational science and engineering kits, which are not affordable nor accessible to rural communities. This is a challenge we must overcome, to advance STEM education and to make it accessible to all.
Why Pueblo Science
Pueblo’s mission “to reduce poverty by advancing science education and enabling innovation in low-resource communities” attracted me to join as a volunteer in 2020. What drives me to continue investing myself into this organization, is the collaboration with the caring, multicultural, and fun scientists and the local educators with whom we develop science workshops that directly benefit rural communities .
Most Memorable Experience
It was most rewarding to experience the gratitude of local students and teachers in the Philippines, who had the opportunity to learn science through hands-on workshops that involved coding microcontrollers and sensors. Participants’ smiles and cheers once their code worked, and their eagerness to learn more to expand their projects and implement them in their communities was heartwarming.
Another highlight, was enjoying time with the welcoming local volunteers, who introduced me to the beauty of their culture, food, and country.
About the Author
Laura Roa is a Professional Engineer and STEM Educator based in Canada. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Engineering Sciences from Trinity University and completed her Masters of Teaching at the University of Toronto. Laura's journey with Pueblo Science began in 2020 when she started as a volunteer curriculum developer. Since then, she has been actively involved in teaching online classes to educators and students from the Caribbean and the Philippines. Her dedication to advancing STEM education recently led her to participate in the RISE program in the Philippines, where she contributed her expertise for a duration of four weeks.