Virtual Community Service Ideas for Science Students

Be a STEM Volunteer and play your part in changing the world! Unleash the Scientist in you!

STEM students are the most sought-after students in today’s job market because they have the capacity and potential to engineer the way in which the world operates. They are capable of innovating and engineering a better world for humanity using the wealth of scientific knowledge they have. 

There are ample virtual community service opportunities in India that you can engage in. Read on to find out more. 

What is Community Service? 

Community service is a form of volunteering that is done to support non-profits and social enterprises. Volunteers undertake unpaid work to help underprivileged communities by teaching      or by raising funds for issues like bridging the digital divide, access to laptops and smartphones       in their local areas. 

There are two aspects to performing community service. Not only are others benefitted by your actions, but you are also benefited because you get the opportunity to boost your employability by developing skills such as leadership and communication.

Moreover, you are also in a way contributing towards achieving some of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.   

Why Should STEM Students Engage in Community Service?’

Serving the community provides you with the unique opportunity to demonstrate your interest, love and passion for science and technology in an efficient way. Performing community service allows you to      prove      that you have been proactive from a very young age and that you are a responsible citizen. Who doesn’t want to recruit a responsible citizen? Moreover, performing community service will invariably help you when making your college applications. 

Still not convinced. Read ahead to find out the benefits of performing community service: 

• Science and technology can positively impact underprivileged      communities. 
• It’s an opportunity for you to use your skills to better the lives of people and create positive change. 
• It is an opportunity to implement your theoretical knowledge. 
• You get to witness how you can better the lives of people using science in real-time. 
• You get hands-on work experience. 
• Instant gratification. 
• Develop skills that will make you stand out when applying to colleges. 
• Stand out from the crowd when job-hunting. 
• Network with new people and make lifelong friends. 

Community Service Ideas for Science Students: 

If you are here, it means you are convinced. Here are a few community service ideas to help you get started: 

• Organise student-led hackathons, solve local issues like access to audio books for visually impaired (check out Drishti).
• Offer tuition classes and online coding classes to underprivileged children in STEM subjects. Add fun elements and introduce students to cool experiments.
• Act as a teaching assistant online to       experienced tutors and mentors.
• Create a portal to o     ffer career guidance to students.
• Help students work on their college applications and resumes.
• Offer IT support or other technical support to social impact organisations that need it.
• Perform visually aesthetic science experiments online to raise funds for charities or NGOs.
• Organise a drop-in session with established scientists and interview them. 
• Design a website or web application for a cause that you are passionate about. 
• Volunteer as a teaching assistant with organisations such as Girls Who Code. 
• Participate in online science researches by contributing soil samples or similar such samples. 
• Help conducting research on critical environmental matters with organisations such as The Earthwatch Institute. 
• Contact your local TV or radio station to ask how you can contribute to the accuracy of their reports by providing ground data from your area. 
• Help underprivileged students or elders at old-age homes to become tech-savvy by conducting classes online. 
• Help local NGOs with data entry and orother crucial admin tasks.

Organisations you can Work With: 

Now that you know what to do, here’s a list of organisations with whom you can start volunteering: 

• TribesforGOOD: is a social enterprise in India that seeks to work with people who have brilliant ideas but do not know where to start. They offer a Young Changemakers Program Online that is aimed at highschool students and others who are interested in structured internship or volunteering programs. Check out their vacancies and programmes here.
• Bhumi: drives social change by fostering an environment where young adults & children learn, lead and thrive. Check out their vision and mission here.
• ThinkSharp Foundation: is an organisation that seeks to bridge the rural and urban education divide. Check out available opportunities here.  

Conclusion 

There is no reason why one shouldn’t engage in providing virtual community service. On the converse, there are many reasons to start now! In order to put yourself in proper stead whilst making your college applications, take action now.