• Address: Boston, MA 02196 (map)
• Date Posted: 09/14/09

Northeastern University’s RE-SEED program is looking for retirees with science, engineering and other science backgrounds who can volunteer once a week in K-12 science classrooms in Boston and throughout Massachusetts.



As a result of a shortage of science and math teachers in the Greater Boston schools many teachers without degrees in science or math are teaching these subjects. This is a national problem and Boston is no exception. In spite of an intensive program to train these teachers…and the results are very encouraging…they still need all the help they can get in the classroom. That is where the volunteers come in. Retired scientists, engineers, mathematicians and even medical doctors trained by the RE-SEED program (Retirees Enhancing Science Education through Experiments and Demonstrations) run by Northeastern University are working with Greater Boston science teachers to enrich curriculums and engage students. In addition to teaching key scientific principles, RE-SEED volunteers act as student mentors, assisting with science projects, judge at science fairs, and provide hands-on demonstrations.



Christos Zahopoulos, Phd., Director of The NU Center for STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), of which RE-SEED is a part, has said “We are stepping up efforts to recruit senior volunteers in response to escalating requests from the Boston Public Schools and other Massachusetts Schools”. While the RE-SEED program has been around since 1991 and volunteers serve all over the United States and in foreign countries, the need for volunteers is greater than ever with the recent concern over the quality of US primary education and math and science education in particular.



Any retired scientist, engineer or others with science background who would like to learn more can call RE-SEED at 617-373-8388 and request an information packet. To speak with the volunteer coordinator, Paul Conroy, call 508-878-9013 or you may email your request to pa.conroy@neu.edu . In the training, volunteers learn how to apply their expertise in a way that makes science exciting and relevant in everyday situations.

To learn more about RE-SEED, visit www.bostonreseedcenter.org



About Northeastern



Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university’s distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. For more information, please visit www.neu.edu

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