Volunteers needed for Intel ISEF

The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), sponsored by Intel, is being held from May 10-15 in Pittsburgh, PA.  What a tremendous honor--and opportunity--for the residents of our great city! 

Being that The University of Pittsburgh is a local sponsor of Intel ISEF, the Society for Science and the Public has been in contact with me and has expressed an urgent need for interpreters.  Although this is a science and engineering competition, volunteers do NOT need technical expertise.  They simply need basic competency in English--and their native tongue, naturally--in order to help the student participants communicate with English-speaking judges.  There is an especially great need for volunteer interpreters on project judging day, which is Wednesday, May 13.

This is a truly unique opportunity for volunteers to connect with people from their native countries.  With your ties to the international community, I thought that perhaps you might be able to provide some volunteers.

Please see the following message for more information.  You may also find a list of the languages needed (EXCEL) as well as a volunteer recruitment flyer (PDF). 

A short video highlighting volunteer opportunities at Intel ISEF can be found at:

https://student.societyforscience.org/volunteers

Thank you for your time,
Brianne Harrison

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We all know how important hands-on learning and science competitions are for fostering scientific and engineering literacy in high school students and developing the next generation of STEM professionals.

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), a program of Society for Science & the Public (SSP), is the world's largest international pre-college science competition, providing an annual forum for more than 1,700 high school students from more than 70 countries, regions, and territories to showcase their independent research as they compete for more than $5 million annually.

Programs like Intel ISEF are not possible without a dedicated group of volunteers. Intel ISEF Volunteers will receive several tangible items for volunteering, such as a t-shirt, certificate of appreciation, free parking and free meals (for shifts lasting more than four hours).

Arguably, the most important aspect of volunteering is interacting with the finalists.

More than 200 interpreters in multiple languages and 500 general volunteers are needed throughout the week. Interpreters and general volunteers do not need a background in science.

Please consider volunteering at Intel ISEF 2015, being held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from May 10-15, 2015. For more information about volunteering, contact SSP at isefvolunteer@societyforscience.org.

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Brianne Harrison, Instructor
Community Outreach Coordinator
English Language Institute
University of Pittsburgh