Three Teacher Prep students participated in Noyce Internships at African Community Education (ACE) and Greendale Family Branch YMCA this past summer (2023). The Teacher Prep students brought their content knowledge and love of STEM to the community partner sites while also acting as mentors to K-12 students.
(Photo courtesy of Andrew Simonini.)
The WPI students contributed STEM learning opportunities at the organizations during their 6–8-week summer internship by designing and delivering engaging and interactive activities. For instance, Andrew Simonini and Kerry Xiao facilitated a city planning project activity where K-12 students from the Greendale Family Branch YMCA designed and built what they would like their house to look like in the city.
"My time as a Noyce Intern with the Greendale YMCA was invaluable. The experiences I got to share with those kids are ones I'll never forget." - Kerry Xiao ‘26, Robotics Engineering
At ACE, Jake Maglio assisted in providing fun and engaging enrichment activities that included reading, robotics, and art with their summer program for ages 8-17. The Teacher Prep Program continues to do STEM activities with them during the academic year.
“My time with ACE, though short, was a welcoming experience, and it immediately stuck with me how natural it felt to be part of their staff. The students were a delight to work with as well, very energetic and present.” - Jake Maglio ‘25, Physics
Partnerships with local youth-serving organizations continue into the school year, with WPI students volunteering as tutors and having Teacher Prep students practice facilitating hands-on STEM activities at out-of-school time programs at community-based organizations before their student teaching practicum in local schools.