Chief Science Officers (CSO) are students elected by their peers in grades 6-12 to be liaisons for STEM and innovation in their schools and community. CSOs amplify student voice by bringing their peers and community leaders together to ignite new opportunities in STEM and innovation. CSOs have teamed up to create “Perspective with CSO Cyra” on YouTube. Each episode highlights a theme with interviews, jokes and encouraging words from Chief Science Officers around the global network.
The goals of the program are:
Create a global network of diverse STEM leaders.
Foster communication and collaboration among CSOs.
Enrich STEM culture and career awareness.
Amplify student voice in STEM conversations in the community.
Every CSO gets to experience:
Leadership Training Institute: teaches Program Goals, networking, leadership development, verbal and written communication, and team building.
Cabinet Meetings and Community Events: guides collaboration with business and civic leaders to address community challenges, improve communication and confidence, and share common experiences.
Mentorship: training opportunities with STEM Professionals – vetted regional leaders who help CSOs implement their ideas on campus and amplify their voice in the community.
Integrating STEM and CS, Mentoring, Broadening Participation
AZ Tech Council Fnd., Scitech institute
Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST)
Related Content for Amplifying Student Voice in STEM Conversations
Hi Kelly (and team), I always love hearing about what the CSOs are up to! I know a big part of their work is presenting at conferences and other speaking opportunities, what creative solutions did the CSOs implement to adapt to the shift to virtual meetings/conferences?
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Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Lead Presenter Chief Operations Officer
May 10, 2022 | 05:39 p.m.
Thanks Brianna! We were excited to have the support from Zoom and the CSO International students from across the global network met online to discuss creative solutions to remain engaged during the pandemic. CSO Danya of Sonora, Mexico was excited to start Zoom in on Science to meet with STEM Professionals while other students shared digital collaboration tools to make meetings more fun. Students shared a variety of tools to include Kahoot, Google Slides, Jamboard, Flipgrid and more! We also had students create YouTube videos and host online office hours to engage with one another. CSO Saturday was launched and the students were excited to share updates, collaborate on Action Plan ideas and meet professionals based on the monthly themes. Breakout rooms, shared Google slides and the private chat have been instrumental for coaching the students while they led sessions!
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Brianna Roche
Catherine McCulloch
Facilitator Senior Project Director
May 10, 2022 | 12:08 p.m.
Hi Kelly and team. Thank you for the great video. I'm curious to know more about the supports the CSOs are receiving and if any of the impacts are extending to other areas of their lives, e.g., are they taking on other leadership roles or employing their new skills and knowledge in new ways.
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Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Lead Presenter Chief Operations Officer
May 10, 2022 | 05:49 p.m.
Excellent question Catherine! The CSOs attend trainings each year based on their level in the program. Each training consists of key skills including communication, project management, design thinking and individual awareness of working on a team. We also host Cabinet Meetings and Site Visits to monitor progress. During the Cabinet Meetings, CSOs also have a chance to practice the skills and refine their project plans. Each CSO site is expected to have an advisor who serves as their biggest cheerleader, mentor and coach during the year.
Along with their individual or team Action Plans, many of the CSOs do participate in additional extra curricular activities and competitions to include Girl Scouts, Skills USA, FFA, HOBY Ambassadors and more. Now, our graduating CSOs can also participate in the Alumni Association which is run by prior CSOs. They host trainings, support meetings for applications and resume building, STEM professional engagements and more opportunities to remain connected.
Many CSOs have been invited to present at conferences, engage in focus committees with organizations and universities, participate in STEM panels, work on active research projects and host teacher professional development opportunities. We often encourage CSO advisors and district representatives to invite the students to present at Board Meetings and to their City Council members. Overall, each CSO that says YES to an opportunity has the experience to employ their skills in new ways!
This is great - getting students involved and belonging yes that is the secret for sure. I love the ambassador idea for sure! Kids can make decisions and yes so true that they are so creative.
1
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Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Lead Presenter Chief Operations Officer
May 10, 2022 | 05:51 p.m.
They love the opportunity, Rita! Some need an extra layer of support, but once they are comfortable and confident... these students are completely capable of all things. My favorite part of meeting each CSO is the growth that is evident after the two day Leadership Training Institute. Personally, I want each student to believe THEY CAN and provide the opportunities to #MakeItHappen during the year.
Mike Szydlowski
Facilitator K-12 Science Coordinator
May 11, 2022 | 09:15 p.m.
I love this! Is this something that any school can get involved in? It looks like a wonderful program.
1
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Found helpful:
Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Lead Presenter Chief Operations Officer
May 12, 2022 | 03:06 p.m.
Thanks Mike! Yes, any school or organization can get involved. We continue to grow our At-Large groups looking to get started. We have students who have initiated the launch of CSO at their schools along with larger organizations sponsoring an entire cabinet of 50-100 students.
We really enjoy working with districts to have representatives from each of their schools then convening the group of CSOs with STEM or Science Coordinators to collaborate on larger projects!
If the program is not currently in your state, we can always discuss how to get started.
It looks like the program does a great job empowering youth. How did you recruit your participants?
1
Discussion is closed. Upvoting is no longer available
Found helpful:
Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Lead Presenter Chief Operations Officer
May 12, 2022 | 03:13 p.m.
The program goals are focused on student development and empowering them to lead their Action Plans really pushes them to achieve success. Sometimes they fail, but we encourage it and help them expect challenges! The data shows the increased confidence in their ability to manage projects, collaborate with STEM professionals and make an impact in their communities.
Participants are recruited in a variety of ways. When the project was initially funded by NSF in Arizona 7 years ago, we asked school contacts to send students to train. Now, in the additional 13 states we have recruitment through STEM Ecosystems, event coordinators and school contacts. But, in some cases - like North Carolina, Canada, Philippines, Turkey and Delaware, a student has reached out to our staff to inquire how to start the program at their school. We support them by engaging with their administration, but also train them individually. Some have recruited their friends and our data shows that they are the highest engaged participants and remain in the program for at least 2 years then join the Alumni Association.
Brianna Roche
Hi Kelly (and team), I always love hearing about what the CSOs are up to! I know a big part of their work is presenting at conferences and other speaking opportunities, what creative solutions did the CSOs implement to adapt to the shift to virtual meetings/conferences?
Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Chief Operations Officer
Thanks Brianna! We were excited to have the support from Zoom and the CSO International students from across the global network met online to discuss creative solutions to remain engaged during the pandemic. CSO Danya of Sonora, Mexico was excited to start Zoom in on Science to meet with STEM Professionals while other students shared digital collaboration tools to make meetings more fun. Students shared a variety of tools to include Kahoot, Google Slides, Jamboard, Flipgrid and more! We also had students create YouTube videos and host online office hours to engage with one another. CSO Saturday was launched and the students were excited to share updates, collaborate on Action Plan ideas and meet professionals based on the monthly themes. Breakout rooms, shared Google slides and the private chat have been instrumental for coaching the students while they led sessions!
Brianna Roche
Catherine McCulloch
Senior Project Director
Hi Kelly and team. Thank you for the great video. I'm curious to know more about the supports the CSOs are receiving and if any of the impacts are extending to other areas of their lives, e.g., are they taking on other leadership roles or employing their new skills and knowledge in new ways.
Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Chief Operations Officer
Excellent question Catherine! The CSOs attend trainings each year based on their level in the program. Each training consists of key skills including communication, project management, design thinking and individual awareness of working on a team. We also host Cabinet Meetings and Site Visits to monitor progress. During the Cabinet Meetings, CSOs also have a chance to practice the skills and refine their project plans. Each CSO site is expected to have an advisor who serves as their biggest cheerleader, mentor and coach during the year.
Along with their individual or team Action Plans, many of the CSOs do participate in additional extra curricular activities and competitions to include Girl Scouts, Skills USA, FFA, HOBY Ambassadors and more. Now, our graduating CSOs can also participate in the Alumni Association which is run by prior CSOs. They host trainings, support meetings for applications and resume building, STEM professional engagements and more opportunities to remain connected.
Many CSOs have been invited to present at conferences, engage in focus committees with organizations and universities, participate in STEM panels, work on active research projects and host teacher professional development opportunities. We often encourage CSO advisors and district representatives to invite the students to present at Board Meetings and to their City Council members. Overall, each CSO that says YES to an opportunity has the experience to employ their skills in new ways!
Rita Hagevik
This is great - getting students involved and belonging yes that is the secret for sure. I love the ambassador idea for sure! Kids can make decisions and yes so true that they are so creative.
Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Chief Operations Officer
They love the opportunity, Rita! Some need an extra layer of support, but once they are comfortable and confident... these students are completely capable of all things. My favorite part of meeting each CSO is the growth that is evident after the two day Leadership Training Institute. Personally, I want each student to believe THEY CAN and provide the opportunities to #MakeItHappen during the year.
Mike Szydlowski
K-12 Science Coordinator
I love this! Is this something that any school can get involved in? It looks like a wonderful program.
Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Chief Operations Officer
Thanks Mike! Yes, any school or organization can get involved. We continue to grow our At-Large groups looking to get started. We have students who have initiated the launch of CSO at their schools along with larger organizations sponsoring an entire cabinet of 50-100 students.
We really enjoy working with districts to have representatives from each of their schools then convening the group of CSOs with STEM or Science Coordinators to collaborate on larger projects!
If the program is not currently in your state, we can always discuss how to get started.
KGreene@SciTechInstitute.org
David Campbell
Program Officer, retired
It looks like the program does a great job empowering youth. How did you recruit your participants?
Kelly Greene
Kelly Greene
Chief Operations Officer
The program goals are focused on student development and empowering them to lead their Action Plans really pushes them to achieve success. Sometimes they fail, but we encourage it and help them expect challenges! The data shows the increased confidence in their ability to manage projects, collaborate with STEM professionals and make an impact in their communities.
Participants are recruited in a variety of ways. When the project was initially funded by NSF in Arizona 7 years ago, we asked school contacts to send students to train. Now, in the additional 13 states we have recruitment through STEM Ecosystems, event coordinators and school contacts. But, in some cases - like North Carolina, Canada, Philippines, Turkey and Delaware, a student has reached out to our staff to inquire how to start the program at their school. We support them by engaging with their administration, but also train them individually. Some have recruited their friends and our data shows that they are the highest engaged participants and remain in the program for at least 2 years then join the Alumni Association.
Further posting is closed as the event has ended.