Catalyst is an award-winning STEM Program for high school students with disabilities who are interested in STEM careers. At JMP, we emphasize the importance of preparing the future workforce to hit the ground running in science, engineering and research.
Here's an opportunity to prepare students for fulfilling STEM careers and diversify the STEM workforce to include more people with disabilities.
Catalyst is looking for
virtual mentors to work with a high school student on a project related to your area of STEM expertise. This is usually
a four-hour commitment over the course of a year. Catalyst provides materials, insurance and support. You can
get involved by filling out this interest form.
Meet Nelle.
She's wants to be an astrophysicist. Catalyst paired her with Prof. Shuang Fang Lim from the North Carolina State University Physics Department. Nelle will learn to use Python to model planet orbits and COMSOL software to find electromagnetic properties. What could you teach a student?
Not interested in mentoring? You can also get involved by:
- Teaching a hands-on STEM lesson to a group.
- Reviewing resumes.
- Participating in mock interviews.
Please fill out this interest form.
More about the program:
- Founded five years ago and located at The Science House on NC State’s Centennial Campus.
- In addition to mentoring opportunities, students attend free, weeklong institutes in the summer and Saturday sessions throughout the school year.
- Students are enrolled in high school honors and AP classes.
- Catalyst also has many community partners including NC State, Wake Tech, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Biogen, Duke Energy, IBM, Fidelity, SAS, EPA, NASA and Bank of America.
- Winner of the 2021 STEM Program of Excellence Award from the International Technology Engineering Educators Association.
- Past students won the 2017 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam Competition for inventing a mat that screens lameness in cows and notifies farmers through an app.
Once you fill out the form, we will connect you with the program director to get started!
