Check out our full calendar by clicking here! or click here to copy the ical format for importing into your own calendar Upcoming Outreach Events Mini Carnival October 13, 2023 in the HSC Courtyard Time TBA Join us for our second annual Mini Carnival! We will be hosting a variety of games, including the ever popular Cake Walk! Keep an eye out for a volunteer sign up, we'll be sending that out shortly. If you have events that would benefit from SPOG volunteers - please contact SPOG@louisville.edu Past Events Exploring Human Anatomy 2023 SPOG members held a booth showing the wonders of the human microbiome at Exploring Human Anatomy hosted by the West Louisville Math and Science Club. We loved working with these students and hope to continue this partnership. Brown Science Olympiad Invitational 2022 New in 2022 we helped with the Brown Science Olympiad Invitational as supervisors and proctors of competition exams. Kentucky Science Center Maker Days 2022 We hosted a booth as part of the KSC Maker Days celebration where we talked with elementary and middle schoolers about careers in STEM and had a few demonstrations showing the wonders of science. Fall Mini Carnival 2022 Another new event SPOG held fall of 2022 was a Mini Carnival fundraiser. Our goals of this event were to recruit new members, and raise money for additional outreach opportunities in the community and on campus. We plan to continue having this Mini Carnival yearly. College Application Workshops 2022 SPOG created a new event this year to help high school seniors navigate the college application process. We hosted this event at the Louisville Free Public Library, but hope to bring these workshops into the high schools next year. West Louisville Math and Science Project: Anatomy Night 2022 SPOG is proud to have hosted a table at the WLMSP anatomy night, geared toward getting our local community involved and excited about the field. We hope to continue supplying volunteers to such events in the future. KSC & SFN Brain Days: March 25 and 26 2022 Hosted primarily by the Kentucky Science Center and Louisville Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, this is an event geared toward getting the community involved in learning about how cool the nervous system is! SPOG and its members have been involved in helping to set up and run stations during this yearly event and we plan to be just as involved this year. More information to come on how to get involved for 2023. LRSEF Judging 2020-2023 Each year, SPOG provides volunteer judges for LRSEF. If you are interested in becoming a judge this year, stay tuned for more information from SPOG and LRSEF! SPOG/LRSEF Student Mentorship Program 2020-2023 The purpose of the student mentor program is to give students a personal experience with a professional or graduate student mentor who can serve to answer scientific and career questions, and to encourage involvement in STEM. SPOG works directly with students at Central High School to act as mentors for science fair projects, visiting multiple times in the fall and spring to give input at different stages of the scientific process. We hope to continue this mentorship program for future years. If interested, please email SPOG@louisville.edu We <3 Policy Week: February 14-18, 2022 The week of Valentines Day SPOG hosted "We heart policy week," a week filled with us sending out and posting science-policy related information and hosting policy-related events.
DuPont Manual Regional Science Fair Judging 2021 Each spring, SPOG members may volunteer to judge the DuPont Manual Regional Science Fair. We hope to continue this opportunity in future years. If interested, please email SPOG@louisville.edu SPOG/LRSEF Ambassador Program 2020 The purpose of the Ambassador program is to create a welcoming atmosphere, give students a personal experience with a diverse group of professionals and graduate students, and to encourage involvement in STEM. Ambassadors visited with students on their floor, asked questions, encouraged dialogue, and served as real-world role models for students. The role of ambassadors of the LRSEF had the express purpose of engaging students and discussing the students’ research. We hope to continue this ambassador program for future years. If interested, please email SPOG@louisville.edu Ambassadors must be age 21 or older and have completed a BS or BA degree in a STEM field, or comparable education. Undergraduate students 18 & above will be considered on a case by case basis if the minimum number of volunteers is not reached. SPOG presents a Mentoring Day for Science Fair students This was a free mentoring workshop available to any student participating in a science fair. Graduate students from the Science Policy and Outreach Group at UofL, in a variety of fields, were available to help with topics such as: experimental design, technical questions, research questions, data collecting, presentation preparation/practice, etc. Research!Louisville - SPOG/Kentucky Science Fair collaboration High school students from around the area were involved in programming at KSC. SPOG members assisted by working with students who had the desire to learn more about research. Following programming at KSC, classes had the option to go to the CTRB to interact with scientists during a poster event. UK AHEC VISIT: Rising high school seniors participating in University of Kentucky's Health Researchers Youth Academy, visited UofL on July 2, 2015. SPOG participated in hands-on activities with the students, giving an insight into what graduate school and research are like. Louisville Urban League: Students aged 13-18, interested in STEM careers, visited UofL to learn more about STEM careers, with a focus on opportunities available upon receiving a PhD. GEAR UP Pre-Professional Academy: Rising high school seniors participating in the GEAR UP program were involved in a summer camp at UofL. SPOG aided with activities during their stay. One weekend was focused on engineering while the following weekend was focused on biomedical careers. Students were introduced to what it means to be a researcher and the careers opportunities available after receiving a PhD. The goal was to target any students in high school who do not understand what it means to go to graduate school and what a scientist does. |
We would like to be involved with your event, school, or organization!
Here are some examples of our past involvement and ways we can help you
Career Fairs
Many of our members have participated in local career fairs. If your school or organization would like to hear from a graduate student who is knowledgeable in the diverse career opportunities available as a PhD scientist. Please contact us and we will be able to send a graduate student to your events. Students come from a variety of educational backgrounds; such as; chemists, engineers, cancer researchers, neurologists, microbiologists, and more!
For more information or to schedule a visit to a career fair, email: SPOG@louisville.edu
High School Visits
To date we have welcomed 3 groups of high schoolers. During these visits students get to see numerous labs at the university as well as talk to researchers about what they work on. High school students also get to meet with current graduate students at the University of Louisville. We also try to organize a simple experiment that can be done during the visit. Many of the younger students that we have met with did not know what it means to go to graduate school or that it is really an option. We look forward to our continued work with high schools in the area to help to introduce younger generations about graduate school.
BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK, in conjunction with the Society of Neuroscience, Louisville Chapter, we hosted high school students to
learn about brain-related research going on at UofL and followed up with comparative anatomy of sheep, rat, and mouse brain
dissections.
Louisville Regional Science & Engineering Fair
We will be partnering with the Louisville Regional Science & Engineering Fair (LRSEF) to be mentors for high school students
working on projects. We will also be taking part as judges and volunteers at the science fair. For more information visit: http://lrsef.org/
Or to sign-up as a Mentor, Judge, or Volunteer visit: https://lrsef.stemwizard.com/
Many of our members have participated in local career fairs. If your school or organization would like to hear from a graduate student who is knowledgeable in the diverse career opportunities available as a PhD scientist. Please contact us and we will be able to send a graduate student to your events. Students come from a variety of educational backgrounds; such as; chemists, engineers, cancer researchers, neurologists, microbiologists, and more!
For more information or to schedule a visit to a career fair, email: SPOG@louisville.edu
High School Visits
To date we have welcomed 3 groups of high schoolers. During these visits students get to see numerous labs at the university as well as talk to researchers about what they work on. High school students also get to meet with current graduate students at the University of Louisville. We also try to organize a simple experiment that can be done during the visit. Many of the younger students that we have met with did not know what it means to go to graduate school or that it is really an option. We look forward to our continued work with high schools in the area to help to introduce younger generations about graduate school.
BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK, in conjunction with the Society of Neuroscience, Louisville Chapter, we hosted high school students to
learn about brain-related research going on at UofL and followed up with comparative anatomy of sheep, rat, and mouse brain
dissections.
Louisville Regional Science & Engineering Fair
We will be partnering with the Louisville Regional Science & Engineering Fair (LRSEF) to be mentors for high school students
working on projects. We will also be taking part as judges and volunteers at the science fair. For more information visit: http://lrsef.org/
Or to sign-up as a Mentor, Judge, or Volunteer visit: https://lrsef.stemwizard.com/