NCI Education and Outreach Program

What We Do

Types of Activities

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Activities range from sharing education and research experiences with middle and high school students to providing professional development workshops to teachers. We also regularly participate in annual events such as NIH Take-Your-Child-To-Work-Day and the National STEM Festival.

• Career Day: Visit classrooms to discuss your current research experience with students of all ages.
• Science Night: Provide science activities that encourage excitement for STEM for Title 1 elementary and middle schools.
• Seminar Series: Discuss your research, career path, or other science related topics in a short presentation followed by a Q&A session.
• Assist in the Classroom: Support students and teachers with hands-on activities in the classroom.
• Teaching Opportunities: Develop and present workshops to students about relevant topics

Why Volunteer?

Volunteers develop their skills in science communication, teaching, mentoring, leadership and program management while giving back to their community, improving science literacy, increasing enthusiasm for STEM, and promoting careers in biomedical research.

• Enhance your science communication skills: Opportunities range from sharing your education and research experiences with middle and high school students to providing professional development workshops for teachers.
• Gain experiential learning: Volunteers can gain valuable experience and insight into program management and science outreach careers by both organizing and participating in outreach events.
• Give back to the community: Support science education for youth in the D.C. - Maryland - Virginia area. Volunteers can support an understanding of scientific principles and inspire future scientists.
• Flexible time commitments: There are no specific requirements for commitment, however we do ask that you participate in at least one to two events per calendar year. Activities occur throughout the year, with the greatest number occurring from October to May. The time commitment can range from attendance at a one-time event for 1-2hrs, to participating in mentoring students throughout a research project throughout the school year.

If you are interested in participating, please subscribe to our listserv to stay informed about upcoming volunteer opportunities and events.

Outreach Events and Opportunities

Volunteers are responsible for signing up for the events as they occur, participating in any necessary meetings and/or training(s) prior to the event, and arriving on time. For events that occur during work hours, please talk to your supervisor and make sure you have their full support before attending.

If you are running late or need to cancel attendance at an event, please contact the program coordinator as soon as possible. Repeated tardiness or cancellations will result in termination from the program.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

We are planning several events occurring this year.  For more information, please email ncistemeducation@nih.gov. 

Ongoing Opportunities

These opportunities are ongoing with flexible days and times. 

Lunch and Learn Seminar Series: Wheaton High School

The "lunch and learn" seminar series is an opportunity for volunteers to share their research and career path with students during lunch. There is no specific research or career background required, but volunteers are expected to share the details of how they arrived at their current position. Volunteers have 30-40 minutes to discuss their career journey and research, followed by a brief Q&A. Each volunteer is responsible for coordinating with Wheaton after their initial sign-up. The seminar series typically runs from October through May each school year.

Journal Club: Poolesville High School

A journal club was developed for juniors at Poolesville High School. Students meet weekly, with NCI EOP volunteers checking in with the students monthly (one Friday per month) to manage and evaluate student progress. Typically runs during the school year, starting sometime in October.

Past Events

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Collaborations

Scientists at the National Cancer Institute are committed to improving science literacy, increasing enthusiasm for STEM, and promoting careers in biomedical research. Collaborators benefit from having scientists involved in cutting edge research assist in their classrooms, programs, and/or events. We seek to help you fulfill your science needs, whether it be assistance with labs, facilitating workshops, or providing career guidance. In turn, we get to share our knowledge and expertise with the next generation while providing our staff and fellows career and professional development in science communication and outreach. 

NCI EOP is currently collaborating with the following schools and organizations: 

Poolesville High School 

Poolesville High School is a public magnet high school in Poolesville, MD. Our collaboration with the Science, Math and Computer Science Program assists the juniors and seniors with written and verbal science communication. For the juniors, we kick-off their newly developed journal club to prepare them for their summer internships.  Rising seniors spend a summer participating in a professional STEM internship and subsequently produce a research paper, poster and presentation on their work. For the seniors, we provide workshops to aid their written science communication.   

Wheaton High School 

Wheaton High School is a public high school in Montgomery County, MD, near Silver Spring. We’ve collaborated with the Biomedical Science Academy and Project Lead the Way Program to bring scientists for career seminars, updates on current research and relevant topics, and support the Principles of Biomedical Science labs to encourage enthusiasm for STEM. 

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington (BGCGW) 

BGCGW includes 26 sites across the DMV area, from Manassas, VA to Germantown, MD. We will be celebrating National STEM Day in November at their Germantown location. We anticipate additional opportunities in the spring and summer. 

Rockville Science Center 

The Rockville Science Center is an interactive space and nonprofit organization in Rockville, MD focused on hands-on learning for all ages and connecting with the scientific community. We plan to participate in their upcoming Community STEM Days to provide hands-on learning and exploration related to the health sciences. 

STEM for Her 

STEM for Her creates awareness, excitement, and opportunities among girls and young women to launch successful careers in STEM through hands-on experiences and role models and mentors. We plan to participate in the annual STEM for Her Day that sees over 300 DC female high school students attend a conference-style all day event with discussions, competitions, networking, hands-on activities, and demonstrations on all-things STEM. 

Swaliga Foundation 

The Swaliga Foundation is a nonprofit organization aim at cultivating global learning and inspiring young people to connect their passions to successful careers. We brought the Paint-by-Pipette activity to the 2024 #STEAMtheBlock Party and plan to identify additional opportunities to work with the Swaliga Foundation.   

US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) 

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE- USPTO) in collaboration with the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Center offer an annual Noche de Ciencias (Science Night) to highlight STEM career opportunities for K-12 Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) students and their families through interactive exhibitions. 

Past Collaborations

Redland Middle School 

Redland Middle School is part of the Magruder High School cluster of schools in Rockville, MD.  We provide several tables to support their science night that takes place each spring. 

Learning Undefeated 

Learning Undefeated sparks interest in life-changing career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for underserved communities.  This is accomplished through innovative, effective and experiential STEM education programs for middle school and high school students, and workforce development programs for adults.  By collaborating with Learning Undefeated, NCI EOP provided our scientific expertise via curriculum development and execution for their mobile lab program. 

Education and Outreach Staff and Contact Information

For information on activities, potential collaborations, and upcoming opportunities, please contact  ncistemeducation@nih.gov.

Chanelle Case Borden, Ph.D., NCI Education and Outreach Program Manager

Dr. Case Borden is currently the Branch Director of the Office of Training and Education in the Center for Cancer Training (CCT). She joined the Center for Cancer Training in 2016 to pursue her passions in science education, improving training education, and increasing diversity in biomedical sciences. She received her Ph.D. in Molecular Oncology from George Washington University, in partnership with the National Institutes of Health Graduate Partnership Program (GPP).  Chanelle founded the NCI Education and Outreach Program (formerly NCI Scientists in the Community) in 2017 to enhance STEM experiences by connecting scientists with the local community

Antonella Sassano, Ph.D., NCI Education and Outreach Program Volunteer and Organizer

Dr. Sassano has over 25 years of lab experience in cancer research and translational medicine. She grew up in Italy by the Amalfi Coast, received her Ph.D. in Immunology and Cell Biology from the University of Turin (Italy), then transferred to the US and became a Research Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in Chicago. In 2017, she joined NIH as a scientist in Dr. Glenn Merlino's Lab, where she studied mouse preclinical melanoma modeling. Beyond her daily responsibilities in the lab, she collaborates with CCT to develop and expand EOP. Antonella is committed to scientific excellence, innovative thinking, and using her experience and network to support trainees.

Jordann Smak, Ph.D., NCI Summer RISE Lead

Dr. Smak received her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan and is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Center for Cancer Training (CCT).

Past Team Members

• Emily Davis, Ph.D. (former NCI Education and Outreach Program Manager) Prior to her departure from NCI, Dr. Davis was a Program Manager in CCT, where she successfully led the NCI Education and Outreach Program, among other initiatives. Just before joining NCI, she served as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow at the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS). She earned her doctorate in biomedical sciences from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), with research focused on the role of the second X chromosome in brain aging and neurodegeneration.
• Britney Hardy, Ph.D. (former NCI Postdoc) transitioned to the NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) where she now directs the High School Scientific Training and Enrichment Program (HiSTEP) Summer Program.
• Mary-Grace Katusiime (former NCI Summer RISE Co-Lead)
• Patricia A. Wiley, Ph.D. (former Assistant Program Manager) was awarded a AAAS Fellowship and transitioned to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB).
• Cora Hersh (former Volunteer Coordinator) transitioned to a Research Assistant position at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution following the completion of her postbaccalaureate fellowship.