Fuelling the rocket and igniting our volunteers.
The importance of professional role models in the lives of young people is certainly quantifiable in terms of young people hearing about, engaging with and potentially entering STEM careers.
So how could Tim Peake’s arrival as an honorary STEM Ambassador elevate an already inspirational volunteering programme, I hear you ask?
My thoughts are simple. Credibility of the programme, where young people not only recognise the importance of meeting real role models from industry, but understand that they are actually meeting a STEM Ambassador and that someone from this volunteering programme, is also a highly public, inspirational figure! It sends out an equally powerful message too, to our wonderful cohort of 33,000 STEM Ambassador role models, who work tirelessly, at times quietly on a local basis, that the badge they wear, the work they do, is firmly endorsed and linked to such an inspirational ‘icon’ in the world of science and engineering in the UK.
The immediate, straw poll from some of my fellow STEM Ambassadors has been fascinating. “What…Tim Peake is a STEM Ambassador too”. “Really?...well it’s nice to be in the same programme as a real life spaceman”! “Heh, I can use this with young people and teachers, when they wonder why I volunteer as a STEM Ambassador and who associated with our programme…awesome”
So, my simple message here is, it is not only young people that can be inspired by our amazing volunteer STEM Ambassadors, they can also be inspired themselves with such news, seeing their very own programme at such a national profile, fuelling the rocket ship and igniting them to do more and enjoy the programme more, knowing that one of their own is Tim Peake!
So Tim’s new status has not only fuelled this rocket, but it has lit the fire of the STEM Ambassador programme’s engines to take this programme to even dizzier heights.
At a recent European STEM forum, organised by the British Science Association, it was very clear talking to our European neighbours, that employer links with schools exist in most countries, but the UK Plc’s treasured STEM Ambassador programme, although not unique, has a reputation and profile and continues to gain new friends. The UK’s drive to support STEM education is serious, supported at the heart by Government and Business and the force of ‘nature’ that is our STEM professional homo sapiens are not only inspiring this new generation of potential STEM people, but are themselves equally inspired and privileged to be part of such a ‘cool’ volunteering programme, graced by the UK’s very famous, homemade rocket man, Tim Peake!