Community Involvement

The Community Involvement committee organizes and leads numerous volunteer initiatives throughout the semester, serving as the bridge between CNS and the greater Austin community. We are involved in weekly volunteer opportunities, leading science activities and working with children through Young Scientists, Posada Esperanza, and Helping Hand Home. We also are involved in numerous school-sponsored events such as Longhorn Halloween, Natural Sciences Week, Explore UT, and Longhorn School Bus.

In addition, each committee member has the opportunity to organize and lead a service project of their own, allowing members to contribute their unique vision for outreach. In the past, members have worked with initiatives/organizations such as UT Microfarm and We Are Blood.

This year, CI will be working especially hard to support individuals in our community through the difficulties brought about by both changing circumstances and persistent inequality, working to build a sense of connectedness and platform for change. As a member of CI, you would be able to serve as a volunteer in the Austin community, mentor for others, and advocate for others.

Weekly Events

Sign Up for Young Scientists

This is on a first come, first served basis, so please sign up ahead of time! Please indicate which UT organization you are affiliated with when you sign up.

Young Scientists

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Young Scientists is an educational outreach program whose purpose is to expose students in underserved schools to the fascinating world of science. This year, we are working virtually with 5th graders at Piney Point Elementary, where we involve students in hands-on experiments and introduce them to new scientific topics. 

Check out an example Young Scientists lesson here!

Helping Hands Home

Helping Hands Home is an educational STEM outreach program focused on working with students at a residential childcare facility for children with troubled pasts. We have recently been working with the students to design, create, and tweak their science fair projects.

While this event is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are looking forward to volunteering for Helping Hands Home again in the future!

Other Events

LONGHORN SCHOOL BUS

We engaged a classroom of over 30 elementary students for three whole hours! Planning was a large task, but the CI committee’s organization and execution led to a fun and exploratory experience for everyone: learning about chemical reactions with magic snow, engineering wingless gliders, and blasting off bottle rockets were just some of the exciting activities!

Other Recent Events

Community Involvement members and other members of NSC also participate in the following events: 

  • UT Microfarm

  • Texas Post (Letters to Hospice Residents)

  • We Are Blood Blood Drive

  • Travis Heights Fall Carnival

LONGHORN HALLOWEEN

Once every fall we organize and run a booth at Longhorn Halloween, a yearly event hosted for the children of UT faculty, staff, and students. We usually dress up, run a fun science-based activity for the children, and hand out candy! This is always a lot of fun and a great way to show the kids some neat science tricks