FARMINGTON — University of Maine at Farmington students majoring in secondary science education are excited to inspire local students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics with the new UMF 4-H STEM Ambassadors program. This educational outreach program has UMF students currently preparing for careers teaching middle and high school science, sharing their skills with fifth and eighth grade students in local schools.

STEM Ambassadors is part of a national effort aimed at engaging undergraduate students with a passion for science and mathematics and empowering them to share their knowledge in the community. The UMF 4-H STEM Ambassadors program is a collaboration between UMF students, Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H professionals and local educators to keep elementary and middle school students excited about the STEM subjects.

Four students in Eason’s science methods class are kicking off the program in R.S.U. 9. One day a week for six weeks, UMF pre-service teachers Jacob Vining, UMF junior from Poland, and Emily Gray, UMF senior from South Portland, will present a chemistry unit on mixtures and solutions in Lynn Wells’ class in Cascade Brook School.

Similarly, Elizabeth Carnell, UMF senior, from South Portland, and Sikwani Dana, UMF senior, from Solon, will be in Patty Veayo’s class in Mt. Blue Middle School to present a series of lessons on wind power and alternative energy solutions.

Sarah Sparks and David Allen, 4H youth development professionals with the program, are helping prepare UMF students with lesson kits containing all necessary lesson plans and materials. They will also continue to be available as mentors to the UMF students throughout the program.

Drawing on their teacher training, the UMF students will use the lesson kits to create and teach classroom lessons that align with teaching standards and the STEM experiential learning model in which students learn through a dynamic process of teamwork, problem solving, data collection and creative thinking.

Classroom teachers will video the lessons to analyze and document UMF student work and to help with future instruction.