WISEST Intern
The role of the WISEST Intern was established in 2019 as a means to give interested students the opportunity to volunteer with WISEST for skill development in the area of STEM outreach with the added benefit of gaining experience working in an office environment. The expectations of the role are that individuals volunteer 5-10 hours a week from September/October to March/April with allowances made for busy times in their academic calendars. Projects and tasks are varied and assigned based on the student’s personal and professional skill development goals and the operational needs of WISEST.
Applications for Fall 2023/Winter 2024 year are now closed. Fall 2024/Winter 2025 will open in June 2024.
Mandatory Qualification
- Undergraduate student entering at least their second year of study at the U of A in the fall term (i.e., student must have completed at least one year of post-secondary studies at the U of A)
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong interpersonal communication skills
- Sound understanding of the barriers surrounding inclusion in STEM
- Experience working with Google suite (docs, sheets, forms, slides, meet, chat)
- Ability to work cooperatively with staff and volunteers
- Effective and efficient skills in planning, organizational, and time management
- Interest in promoting and discussing diversity in STEM with a wide variety of audiences
Responsibilities
Projects vary based on a student’s learning outcomes and the current operational needs of the office but have included tasks such as:
- WISEST website review and content curation including Faces of WISEST
- Curriculum and activity development for conferences
- Social media engagement (ex. Content creation for Trivia Tuesday’s, liking/reposting mission-aligned opportunities, etc.)
- Alumni engagement (ex. Surveys, alumni events, etc.)
- Assisting in core programs (CHOICES conference, SET conference) where needed
- Resource development (ex. EDI Toolkit, STEM @ Home Guide)
- Volunteer Database maintenance
- Research on new areas under development
- Archiving of documents and record retention
- Support with outreach programs as needed (ex. Science Rendezvous, boothing, Jasper Dark Sky Festival, etc.)
To apply for consideration for the 2023/2024 Academic Term please submit the following:
- One-page cover letter with 2-3 short paragraphs of why you want to volunteer with WISEST
- In the letter also include a list of 3-5 skills you’d like to develop during your internship
- Current resume
- Estimated time availability for the fall/winter terms with any schedule preferences
- Ex. I can volunteer up to 9 hours a week, Mon, Wed and Fri from 9-noon
- Ex. I can volunteer up to 5 hours a week anytime but Mon afternoons
Please submit your responses Helen Yip, WISEST Outreach Coordinator (wisest.outreach@ualberta.ca) by June 25, 2023 @11:59PM (MDT).
In return for the time you give, you will receive:
- a supportive, friendly environment in which to develop a variety of transferable skills
- access to Transition 2 Career sessions through the University of Alberta Career Centre
- the opportunity to work with an amazing team of WISEST staff and volunteers
- permission to use “WISEST Intern” on your signature line,
- tuition credit of up to $1500 (applied to your next academic year) with successful completion of internship
- a professional reference from WISEST Team Lead outlining your responsibilities & hours worked
- gratification knowing that you have directly impacted the lives of others who experience barriers to pursuing STEM education and careers
Danna Hristova
Meet Danna
- Name: Danna Hristova
- Pronouns: She/Her
- Program: Neuroscience
- What are you most excited about this year with WISEST: I'm really excited to take part in all of the outreach programming! I love talking to students about WISEST as it almost feels like I'm giving advice to my younger self!
- Fun Fact: Even though my education is very science focused, I have an intense passion for art as well, whether it be fashion design, painting or crochet I really love it all!
- One thing you would tell a high school student interested in STEM: Research your options in STEM. I feel like in most highschool settings only a few select areas of STEM are advertised. I would really suggest doing a deep dive into what you like about STEM and the degree/career options that are best suited to that, rather than trying to accommodate your passions to a given degree.
Samantha Polege
Meet Samantha
- Name: Samantha Polege
- Pronouns: she/her/hers
- Program: BSc. Immunology and Infection
- What are you most excited about this year with WISEST: I'm really excited to be back for my second year as a WISEST intern! I'm looking forward to being even more involved in lots of great events like SET and continuing working in outreach. I’m enthusiastic about broadening the scope of my tasks further and digging deeper during my internship this year!
- Fun fact: I’m double-jointed in all fingers and I love trying to make music!
- One thing you would tell a high school student interested in STEM: You WILL feel like everyone else around you has student life under control, but I promise you’re not alone! Study hard, but make room for self-care!
Keeya Beausoleil
Meet Keeya
- Name: Keeya Beausoleil
- Pronouns: She/Her
- Program: 4th year Honours Geophysics
- What are you most excited about this year with WISEST: I am incredibly excited to help develop new program activities centered around physics, geoscience, and cryosphere/climate!!
- Fun Fact: This summer I spent 2 months traversing the Juneau Icefield in Alaska conducting various research projects studying the glacial environments and learning ski mountaineering!
- One thing you would tell a high school student interested in STEM: Explore different programs, keep your options open, be grateful for opportunities even if they help determine what you DON'T like, and pursue what you're passionate about! Oh and make sure you still have fun, STEM can sometimes become overwhelming so make sure to step back and feel proud of your achievements!