Get Involved

One of our office’s priorities is to connect Northwestern faculty, students and staff with existing outreach opportunities, and assist these groups with developing new initiatives.

Some existing projects currently seeking new volunteers are listed below. If you would like to add an opportunity to the list, or if you are interested in starting a new project, please contact director Michael Kennedy at m-kennedy@northwestern.edu or 847-467-3593.

Mentoring
Science Club and Junior Science Club
Science Club, a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, engages middle school students in science through fun, hands-on activities. Northwestern graduate student, postdoc, or staff volunteers lead or co-lead small groups of two to four middle school youth in weekly hands-on lab activities, encouraging scientific thinking, creativity, problem solving, and safety.Each volunteer also acts as a general mentor for their group. High energy and a passion for teaching science are the primary job requirements!

Each weekly Science Club meeting runs from 4:00-5:30 pm. The program follows the Northwestern academic quarter system, with each 8-10 week session designed around a particular scientific theme. Adapted for younger students, Junior Science Club engages third and fourth grade members of the Boys & Girls Club in fun, science-themed activities and demonstrations led by Northwestern undergraduate students. Sessions are held four times a quarter from 3:30-5:30 pm.

For more information about Science Club and Junior Science Club, please contact program’s administrator, Megan Boyle, at 312-503-5602 or megan-boyle@northwestern.edu, or visit the Science Club website.

Writing
Science in Society offers a variety of writing opportunities for Northwestern faculty, students and staff. Authors benefit from one-on-one training and editorial guidance, as well as the real-world experience of publishing their work on the Science in Society e-magazine. For more information about any of the opportunities listed below, please contact assistant director Elizabeth Herbert at e-herbert@northwestern.edu or 847-467-2059.

Feature Articles
Feature articles, around 800 words in length, explore one aspect of a laboratory’s research in detail, providing the reader with an insider’s look at the scientific process. They are generally written by a faculty member, or a graduate student/postdoctoral fellow in conjunction with his or her faculty mentor, and then edited by the SiS communications staff. We provide feedback on article framework and style, and assist with explaining complicated topics/processes in simple language. We also develop illustrations (slideshows, animations, static images) in collaboration with authors, which may be reused by the lab for other purposes (presentations, etc.). Feature articles are published four times a year and generally take a few months to complete from the time a topic is identified to publication.

Research Digest
Research Digest articles are shorter pieces (500-700 words) written by faculty, students and staff with guidance from SiS communications staff. They may be about the author’s research, or another topic of the author’s choosing. Research Digest articles are published on an ad-hoc basis and generally take six to eight weeks to complete.

Science in Society Blog
The Science in Society Blog offers a regular yet lightweight way for Northwestern faculty, students and staff, scientists and non-scientists, to share their perspectives on science with the public. Contributors sign on for a quarter at a time and are required to submit a post a week (or every other week, depending on other commitments). Posts are short (150-300 words) and may cover just about any topic related to science – commentary on a recent news story, an account of a personal experience, etc. Posts are reviewed by SiS communications staff prior to publication, and feedback is provided on content, structure and style as needed.

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