Over the last few months STEM Learning has been developing a new digital platform to increase the impact, reach and sustainability of the STEM Ambassadors programme.
STEM Ambassadors are volunteers who get involved in activities designed to excited young people about STEM subjects and encourage them to consider STEM careers and pathways. Over 30,000 volunteers represent more than 2,500 employers across the UK.
The platform will bring together all the current STEM Ambassadors websites and supporting systems into our main website www.stem.org.uk, enabling access to all STEM Learning services from one place. It will provide the means for STEM Ambassadors, their employers, teachers and other individuals who work with young people to more easily engage with the programme.
It will simplify processes such as registration, browsing profiles and activities, making requests for STEM Ambassadors and giving feedback on activities. It will also include a messaging system that will enable teachers and STEM Ambassadors to communicate directly through the platform helping match the right STEM Ambassador with the right activity. As with all other STEM Learning websites it will be easily viewable on mobiles and tablets, as well as desktop computers.
For existing teacher and STEM Ambassador participants in the programme we will be migrating accounts and where appropriate, merging with your existing www.stem.org.uk account. For new users, access to the STEM Ambassador programme will appear on your dashboard when you log in.
As part of the process there will be some necessary changes to your terms and conditions to include the new services, but this will be flagged up when you next log in after launch.
In advance of the launch in September, we have collated a checklist to ensure you are ready for the new platform.
- Are you details up to date on stem.org.uk?
- If you have used STEM Ambassadors in the past, have you logged all past activity on the current platform?
- Are your details up to date on the current STEM Ambassadors website?
- Have you started planning your STEM Ambassador activity for the next academic year?
- Do you know who your local STEM Ambassador Hub contact is?