JerseySTEM

JerseySTEM is a volunteer-led nonprofit network that delivers hands-on STEM education to middle school girls in underrepresented communities across New Jersey. The organisation operates without paid staff; its work is carried out by volunteer members drawn from parents, professionals, students and educators who contribute their expertise to its programmes.

Central to its activities is curriculum development. Volunteers design STEM curricula that draw on their professional experience, feeding into 10-week after-school programmes built around project-based learning, teamwork, problem-solving and real-world inquiry. Alongside this, members commit to consistent, meaningful engagement in mentoring students and in managing operations. Creative practitioners with an interest in instructional design, programme content or science and technology instruction will find the curriculum work the most direct point of entry.

The organisation's stated focus is on closing the gender gap and the STEM gap for underserved communities, and it works towards sustainable change through collaboration with socially responsible companies, universities and youth organisations. Prospective contributors should note the emphasis on sustained commitment rather than one-off assignments, and the volunteer structure of the network.