The Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program
COVID-19 has impacted the lives of all of New York’s children and families. The Academy is closely following NYC and DOE guidelines to ensure the safety of all our participants. We will be moving ASMP to a virtual platform for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semester to further continue accessibility to our programs.
Inspire the Next Generation of Scientists
The New York Academy of Sciences’ Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program (ASMP) recruits undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and STEM professionals to mentor elementary and middle school students with the goal of inspiring a lifelong interest in STEM. In partnership with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), participants are placed at one of our many afterschool sites around New York City and commit to virtually teaching a one-hour session a week, over a 10 week period. Participating Mentors receive training in STEM curriculum and youth development, and work with a site staff partners across the five-boroughs to implement weekly sessions.
Our Impact
Since our launch in 2010, we have placed over 1,000 scientists into afterschool programs all over the NYC area and impacted 13,000+ students! Check out the map below to see some of our most recent Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program sites.
Sign Up to be a Mentor for the Spring 2021 Semester
Program Sponsors
ASMP is possible because of generous support from our program sponsors:
Contact us if your organization is interested in supporting programs like this!
Why should you become an ASMP mentor?
Young people who have the opportunity to meet real scientists and engineers — and who are exposed to science through active inquiry-based learning — are more likely to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Yet many of our children have never met or interacted with a “real” scientist, particularly in our most underserved neighborhoods. By serving as a positive role model of a real-world scientist or engineer, you can inspire curiosity and excitement about STEM topics, and positively influence the career aspirations of students in NYC.
Need more incentive? Accepted participants also receive a stipend and a yearlong Membership to the New York Academy of Sciences!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign Up to be a Mentor for the Spring 2021 Semester
"Chat with a Scientist" Events
During the Fall 2020 semester, the Academy will be holding virtual “Chat with a Scientist” events in an effort to create a space for K-12 students (and their families) to engage with some of our members during this ongoing pandemic.
These Chats are hour-long, interactive webinars that give scientists the opportunity to talk to students in our programs about their paths into science, the work they currently do, and answer live questions. Our main goal is to provide students with the opportunity to “meet” and engage with scientists, and hopefully to spark their interest in learning more or even considering science in their own futures.
Through this one-time commitment, scientists who participate will have the opportunity to:
- Inspire curiosity and excitement about STEM
- Positively influence the career aspirations of students from underserved communities
- Make a difference in the lives of budding young scientists
If you are a graduate student, post-doc or STEM professional and are interested in being featured in a Chat with a Scientist event, please email asmp@nyas.org
Upcoming Topics and Featured Scientists:
Journeys to Working in the Pharmaceutical Industry
December 1, 2020; 4-5PM ET
- Seng H. Cheng, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of the Rare Disease Research Unit, Pfizer
- Monica Schenone, PhD, Lead for the East Coast Chemical Biology Group, Pfizer
How Drug Development and Clinical Trials Really Work
December 16, 2020; 4-5PM ET
- Jyoti Ramakrisha, MD, MPH, Director of Clinical Research, Pfizer
- Aarti Sawant Basak, PhD, Associate Director of Clinical Pharmacology at Pfizer
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