I have worked with RESET for nearly three years. This wonderful organization brings STEM professionals to young people--K-12--in the classroom, after school and with groups such as Girl Scouts. They bring hands on experiments for young minds, and they have a particular focus on 1. poor children, 2. children of color, and 3. young girls--all of whom face barriers to entry to the STEM professions. They work on a very small budget--with no office space/rental costs, a team of four part time professionals (who work from home and are paid no fringe benefits) and rely on a pool of over 140 volunteers from across the DC area drawn from government agencies, local corporations/contractors and university students. For more than three decades RESET has advanced it's mission and has brought it programs to tens of thousands of young people in the DC Metro area.
Our RESET Team consists of Supervisory Patent Examiner and Classifer Organization (SPECO) Members from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) who volunteer their time and expertise to prepare and lead RESET programs. We do so because we see the need to pay forward our acquired knowledge, skills and abilities to motivate and inspire the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers, creatives, and mathematicians. We firmly believe that RESET espouses this goal for elementary school children and provides an exceptional conduit between science, technology and intellectual property professionals and the future generations of such professionals to come.
All students love RESET Volunteers. They love that its the hands-on learning and they get to do actual science experiments. Thank you for giving our students such a wonderfully engaging experience! We look forward to partnering with you more next school year!
I am a retired engineer and have been volunteering for RESET for the last 5 years at 2 schools in Prince William County – Buckland Mills and Ellis Elementary. I love doing physics experiments with the 4th graders at these 2 schools. The students react very enthusiastically, asking questions, and coming up with variations of the experiments. It feels so wonderful, when students tell me that they want to become scientists because science is fun.
Sharayu Tulpule
RESET has been providing fabulous local programming for area Girl Scouts for several years. I absolutely love how they fit into our girl-led paradigm-- they provide training for our middle & high school girls who in turn run programming for our elementary school girls. All activities are hands on, from computer programing sessions to building catapults. The girls really enjoy interacting with the scientists who staff the programs. As an event coordinator, I have been really impressed with how RESET has worked closely with Girl Scout volunteers to tailor their activities to Girl Scout programming and their willingness to bring STEM events to the girls all over the region. I look forward to continuing to work with RESET to encourage our girls to explore STEM!
Over the years RESET volunteers have come into my classroom to offer a unique and cultivating experience. Whether it's putting on the hat of an electrician, exposure to various fields of engineering, earning their pilot's wings with special one-time presentations, maneuvering a drone at a STEAM fair, or expanding their block coding skills, RESET has been there to help make the magic happen.
RESET is a great organization that provides a unique, fun, and hands-on experience for children to experience their world through STEM. They also place great importance on reaching out to and promoting diverse communities in STEM.
This year I have had an amazing volunteer, Ms. Fandel, come to my preschool classroom. She has taught us about oysters, worms, sound, recycling and other fun topics. She even wore a "costume" related to the topic she was going to discuss. We have really enjoyed all of her lessons. We can't wait for her to come back to us next year!
I have been volunteering at RESET for the past year and a half, and it has been such a rewarding experience for me! As a student who has a passion for STEM, I really enjoy teaching the Girl Scouts basic coding skills which will not only help in their future careers, but will also help bridge the gap between women and men in STEM. The Girl Scouts I teach are enthusiastic and very eager to learn which is one of the many reasons I love volunteering at RESET.
I am a volunteer teacher with the RESET organization, teaching since September, 2019. I am now with my second batch of 6th grade students, and cannot express my gratitude to the RESET Online organization for affording this opportunity to connect passionate industry veterans with the future computing professionals of tomorrow!
The public school system benefits from having students get exposed to additional (background checked!) speakers who can present computing science topics in accessible fashion, and it gives the speakers an amazing chance to witness first hand the fascination of the students when they grasp a new topic.
(Attaching a photo of the sheer look of delight as they fly a drone)
Studies have shown time and again that the earlier that we can engage youth in understanding that computer science is within the realm of ALL, the sooner we widen the aperture of who enters this discipline, and the better prepared our students will be to make informed decisions about their future course choices in their academic careers.
RESET Online, if available to a school, should be strongly considered as a curriculum enhancement -and as an organization, has my endorsement!
I have been volunteering through RESET for nearly two years and have thoroughly enjoyed it! Shaheen Khurana has helped me to identify volunteering options that work for my schedule, location and interests. Shaheen has also been tremendously helpful in providing class materials and lesson plans that I have been able to use easily without having to spend a lot of my personal time preparing. I have particpated in Girl Scout events and regular STEM classes at INMED Partnerships for Children in Sterling. Through my volunteering, I have been able to touch the lives of so many children and to awaken and cultivate their excitement in STEM topics. I have really enjoyed my association with RESET and have encouraged many colleagues, friends and family to also volunteer with RESET.
Thank you so much for sharing your time & passion for STEM with Girl Scouts. We are so grateful to RESET volunteers who taught our Girl Scouts to fly a drone, program in SCRATCH, use algorithms, and think like a programmer through plugged and unplugged activities. The gift of your time is priceless. Your enthusiasm is contagious. I honestly cannot tell you how much I appreciate each of you. We are so lucky to have such amazing volunteers willing to selflessly give their time to provide this fabulous opportunity for our Girl Scouts.
RESET has been working with my school for the past two years? During this time they have introduced my students to computer science and coding. The students look forward to the days the volunteers come to work with them. The very fact that these volunteers give their time to support and give back to the community is priceless! My students form a bond with their RESET volunteer and are forever changed by this experience. RESET is an amazing organization! I greatly appreciate them and all they do for my students!
RESET is a great program bringing experienced scientists into grade schools that would otherwise lack opportunities for elementary school students to have insight into STEM through direct, hands-on laboratory work. It is constantly expanding the scope of its work, for example by creating experience with computers for groups such as the girl scouts. Teachers are all volunteer-some retired scientists and engineers and others active in contemporary research endeavors in places like the NIH. Students and teachers both benefit from the programs which provide the kind of exciting experiences that we feel can encourage students' interest in science and technology.
Last summer (2019) RESET provided STEM experiences to hundreds of students registered in the BellXcel summer program at several Title I schools across Montgomery county. RESET provided the materials and recruited scientist volunteers to teach students about physics and engineering. This is just an example of RESET's involvement in providing STEM education to all children.
Previous Stories
I am a first grade teacher and I have been working with RESET for over 2 years. My students are always excited to see the RESET volunteers and they look forward to the next session. The volunteers provide hands on science experiences and engaging learning opportunities that focus on what we are currently learning in first grade.Also, it is great to see my students interact with professionals in the science field and sparkle their interest in science. It provides my students with the opportunity to ask questions and learn about STEM professions. It is never too early to engage students in STEM learning. Our future dependes on them!
RESET through its hands on experiments led by its corps of dedicated professional scientists, engineers technicians and mathemeticians has been makinng STEM exciting and fun for a generation of students many in underserved communities in the greater DC Metro Area. It not only teaches STEM, but provides role models that can inspire and motivate them. Its computer science programs provide a pathway to the information age. I love RESET.
I am a science teacher who has been working with RESET for five years, and I am constantly inspired by the enthusiasm and dedication with which the volunteers interact with my students. RESET provides us with resources and expertise that we would not normally have access to, providing my students with invaluable learning experiences while simultaneously bolstering their capacity for cross-curricular practices such as critical thinking and problem solving. Most activities use an inquiry-based, hands-on approach that allow my students to take ownership of their learning, leaving them feeling excited as well as proud of what they produce.
RESET raises excitement for science, engineering and technology by recruiting a diverse group of 140 devoted and enthusiastic scientists, engineers and technologists;and training them to deliver hands-on experiments to pre-school, elementary and middle school students. It coordinates closely with principals and teachers to ensure that Its program contribute to science and math curriculum requirements and/or enriches students' understanding and appreciation of STEM subjects. By sharing their life stories RESET volunteer scientists provide role models for students who might not otherwise interact with professional scientists.
Everyone loves when RESET comes. The change in pace for teachers is welcome and the kids enjoy the activities! They learn about concepts in science they might not know from the science curriculum or it reinforces what is learned in the science classroom. Thank you for all you do!"
My students are always looking forward to the RESET lessons. They love that it's hands-on learning and they get to do actual science experiments. Children are so engaged and they truly enjoy learning more in depth than just a regular science lesson. Looking forward to the field trip we will be going in April.
The RESET program has been fantastic for our school. Our volunteer worked with me to plan lessons that fit with our pacing guide and acted as an extension to or the building up of background knowledge for our students. The hands on experiences kept ALL students engaged while learning. I overheard my students saying it was the best field trip that they have ever been on. We wouldn't have been able to send our students to Living Classroom without the help of RESET! Thank you for giving our students such a wonderful engaging experience! We look forward to partnering with you more next school year!
I have been working with RESET for almost four years now, and they have provided invaluable resources and volunteers for my middle school science classroom. This program is great because it provides students with opportunities to participate in activities and experiments that would not typically take place in the regular classroom with just one teacher. The volunteers do a great job of making everything kid-friendly and engaging, even though many of the topics are advanced. We have been able to participate in several field experiences, including overnight camping (which my students LOVED), due to this organization. I truly believe that my students are receiving a richer science education because of RESET.
I volunteered for RESET before becoming Executive Director. It's very rewarding to have children in your classroom connect with hands-on science and math learning, and also with you as a classroom guest and instructor. One of my students wrote: "Thank you for bringing the fish. it was my favorite experiment...It's too bad our fish died but we had a good time anyway."
Most elementary schools lack the capability to include science experiments in their curriculum and teachers welcome RESET bringing this valuable dimension of STEM learning to their students. One teacher wrote: “You brought such interesting and exciting experiments and activities, allowing students to make predictions and consider variables that might change the outcome. You also explained that science doesn’t always turn out as we expect. These are priceless details about science that are not always noted, and perfect for a second grader to learn.”
As Executive Director, I love meeting new scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians who want to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with children. RESET provides new volunteers with training and guidance so they can be most effective in the classroom and align with teachers' curriculum objectives.
I am so very proud of the work we do to instill a love of science in young students. The organization has grown so much in the 28 years of its existence. Now reaching over 100 institutions of learning with hundreds of young and old volunteers in all the STEM fields, this remarkable growth has required developing expertise in fund-raising, communications, and even accounting. It is a remarkable achievement.
Through RESET, I truly feel that I have made the biggest impact I can make in my own community. RESET allows me to use my skills as a scientific researcher and bioengineer to make science more fun and accessible to young students. When I was in elementary school, my first experience with science was positive and engaging. Through RESET, I can create the same positive and engaging experience for the next generation of scientists.
This organization has been working with children in our area's public schools on STEM projects since the 1980's. I have watched children be totally mesmerized by the story of the dinosuars. It excites them about science and helps develop SCIENTISTS which are sorely needed in this country.
RESET is a wonderful organization that makes a difference in young people's lives. Through hands on, enriching science experiments, children get interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) concepts. With early STEM exposure, many of these young scholars in the Washington, DC area decide to pursue science careers in the future. RESET has allowed these young students to gain confidence and comfort in sciences. You can see their excitement and enthusiasm as they put on the lab coats and goggles. RESET is making a difference and changing lives one child at a time.
Through my work with the RESET organization, I've been able to speak to tons of enthusiastic young minds who are interested, engaged, and entertained by uncovering the mysteries behind science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The best part of the experience is that culminating at the end of our six hands-on science demonstrations and experiments, we get to take a field trip to my workplace and the students get to see where their newly discovered interest in STEM-subjects can lead them! Awesome opportunity for students and volunteers alike!
