A big future can start with something as small as a letter
What happens when each of your students swaps letters with a scientist, technologist, engineer or mathematician? You could find out! STEMpals is a program for Australian students that turns exchanging letters into career inspiration.
If your class loves Careers with STEM: Primary, STEMpals could be a great extension. Designed for Years 5, 6, and 7 the program matches each student with a real STEM professional based on shared interests.
For many children, especially those who don’t know anyone working in STEM, this could be their very first personal conversation with a science, technology, engineering or maths expert. By putting a friendly face to a job title, STEMpals helps students picture themselves in careers they may never have considered before.
“Before this pen pal, I didn’t take much notice of science. But after this, I could see myself as being a scientist,” says Khadija, STEMpal student.
There’s a small cost to be involved in the program, $35 per student. But don’t let that stop you reaching out to STEMpals. Fees may be reduced or waived for regional, remote and low socio-economic areas. After all, everyone deserves easy access to inspiring STEM mentors.
Easy as 1, 2, 3
Here are three benefits of participating in STEMpals:
- Over a year, each student exchanges three themed letters with their own STEM professional
- This leads to improved STEM identity (as seen by how students draw a scientist), plus better STEM literacy
- Aligns with the Australian Curriculum in English, Science, Design & Technology
If you’re looking for a way to spark curiosity, build writing confidence and introduce meaningful career education without a complex to-do list, STEMpals might just be perfect for your class!
