Current Opportunities

Are you someone who has a: 

• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in your professional and personal experience
• Passion to support the vision and values of WISEST
• Desire to be an ambassador for women and gender-diverse individuals to engage in STEM
• Willingness to take initiative and lead projects

For 40 years, WISEST has been creating awareness of and breaking down barriers to diversity in science, engineering, and technology. Our priorities are to provide hands-on experience and outreach opportunities to challenge perceptions, promote curiosity-based academic and career opportunities for participants, and equip students to succeed through mentorship and role models.

We are currently seeking individuals from academia, industry, education, government, and from diverse lived experiences to fulfill a variety of roles on the WISEST Advisory Board or one of the WISEST committees. As a WISEST board member, you will change lives and enable STEM student success along with community leaders from all walks of life.    

A successful WISEST board member is someone who shares our values and wants to ensure that the next generation of students has every opportunity to pursue careers in STEM regardless of their background. Skills such as networking, fundraising, and public relations are an asset to someone in this role. Background experience could include experience in K-12 education, EDI (equity, diversity, inclusion), and/or professional experience in the public or private sectors. You would dedicate several hours a month to furthering WISEST goals and generating new fundraising and program opportunities. Board members will receive tools and support from the WISEST External Relations Committee and WISEST staff. 

The WISEST Advisory Board’s work is focused on the following forms of engagement:

STRATEGY: Be a strategic think tank for WISEST. Maintain an active and informed awareness of current trends and issues to identify emerging opportunities for WISEST. 

VOICE: Be the voice of and for diverse perspectives and engagement opportunities.

ACTION: Provide solutions for committees, fundraising, advocacy, and strategic plan outcomes.

WISEST board members serve a three-year term commencing in September of a year and can be renewed at the discretion of the co-chairs for one additional term. Committee members serve a minimum of one year, renewable up to three years.  

Meetings currently take place virtually with the goal of having at least one hybrid meeting each year so those living outside the Edmonton region can attend.  

Current Opportunities

Strategic Programming and Evaluation Committee (Co-Lead & Committee Members)

WISEST is recruiting members to join a newly mandated Strategic Programming and Evaluation Committee. This committee will consist of a variety of educators and content experts who will, through discrete projects, assist the WISEST staff team with the strategic improvement of programs and exploring evidence-based solutions to support outreach and programming. Candidates must commit to at least a one-year term starting in September 2023 and be able to attend quarterly meetings plus commit to project meetings/work in between committee meetings (approximately 5 hours per month). Meetings will be in-person but will allow for remote participation if needed.

If you have content expertise or a desire to work on one of the following projects please consider applying. 

Project 1:  Risk Assessment for Conferences 

In order to better serve our community, WISEST is seeking to evaluate its core programs, mainly SET, and CHOICES, through the lens of risk assessment. We are looking for individuals who have experience with risk assessment, youth work, youth programming, working with volunteers, and/or event planning to audit these events for gaps and improvements in processes and procedures surrounding risk assessment and reduction. 

Project 2:  Relationship Building with Teachers 

Provide valuable perspective on how WISEST can best engage with teachers. Our staff capacity often limits our impact. One effective way to expand our reach and our impact in communities is through equipping teachers with the tools and resources needed to create an equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning space for students. Research has also shown that teachers are one of the main influences on a student’s life in terms of where they feel like they belong, and what they believe they can do. Focus groups will be held with teachers throughout the year to facilitate conversations about how WISEST can strategically engage with and resource teachers to build more EDI-centered classrooms.

Project 3: EDI lens of promotions and advertising and engagement 

The heart of WISEST programming is seeking to identify and reduce barriers to participation in STEM. We are looking for individuals to evaluate our programming for ways we can improve access, whether this is identifying ways in which ableism is perpetuated through our events or how we can better promote our programs to underrepresented and marginalized groups.

If interested in participating in the Strategic Programming & Evaluation Committee please send a letter of interest (max 2 pages) to wisest.events@ualberta.ca with the subject line “Application for WISEST Committee” highlighting your relevant experience and answering the following:

How do your personal values align with WISEST's organizational values?

What voice (i.e. lived experience) and perspective would you like to contribute to our organization?

What motivates you to want to serve/volunteer with WISEST?

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WISEST is also considering individuals to fill the Industry Co-Chair and Academic Co-Chair roles starting September 2023. Joining the WISEST board as “in training” during this year would allow candidates to shadow the current co-chairs and ease the transition.