From Mentors to Professionals: How Serving as an Informal STEM Facilitator Shapes Career Pathways

Informal physics programs that engage youth in STEM beyond the classroom can also shape the educational and professional development of the undergraduate facilitators who lead them. We investigated the career pathways of alumni who, as undergraduates, facilitated and mentored youth in an afterschool informal STEM program called Mobile Making. Interviews with 11 former facilitators focused on how their post-graduation trajectories were influenced by their involvement in the Mobile Making program. Participants' current roles span K–12 education, graduate and medical training, technical and healthcare professions, and social work. Former facilitators reported that the experience helped them explore career options, reaffirm existing goals, and gain relevant professional skills they leverage in their current positions (e.g., communication, teamwork, mentorship). Additionally, some former facilitators described seeking ways to continue mentoring or leading informal STEM education in their current positions as they have continued to find meaning in inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals. In this talk, we will highlight the lasting professional influence of undergraduate engagement in informal STEM education, with impacts that extend well beyond college into participants' career trajectories, and share implications for designing programs that support both youth and early-career STEM professionals.