Cambridge Teens Find Inspiration through STEAM Careers Exploration Program


9/17/2024 • 2 months ago

Participants in the STEAM Careers Program visit GBH studios

This summer, more than 359 teens explored STEAM skills and careers as participants in one of 40 STEAM-focused sites offered through the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program (MSYEP). This included the STEAM Careers Exploration Program, designed to expose Cambridge teens to a variety of STEM careers through immersive experiences. Teens visited 10 local STEM companies over the course of the 6-week internship. In addition to learning how their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, or Math (STEAM) can lead to fulfilling career paths, they also learned professional development techniques to thrive in professional workspaces.

The goal of the STEAM Careers Exploration Program is to encourage teens – especially those from communities historically excluded from STEM opportunities - to pursue higher-level STEM classes in high school, decide to major in STEM fields in college, or otherwise follow a training path that leads to a well-paying career at a local company.

Below, Program Coordinator Nina Nolan reflects on the many highlights of the 6-week internship:

  • Our first host was LabCentral, a shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for high-potential life-sciences and biotech startups. Brian and his colleagues gave us a warm welcome (much needed since the lab spaces were kept at a chilly temperature!), including a chance to learn about the history of the building. It was the site of the first long-distance phone call in 1876. Teens got a tour of LabCentral and observed the professional interactions of the staff. 
  • Next, staff from the City’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD) stepped up to advise teens on how to present themselves to potential employers. With the help from Rayana Ferej at OWD, all of the teens had an updated resume. Later in the first week, Ken Laryea, Adult Employment Director at OWD, spent a morning with the teens, discussing the value of networking and having a social media presence. These experiences were key to helping the teens get an idea of what employers are paying attention to. The teens also practiced leading informational interviews. 
  • Week One wrapped up with a trip to the Franklin Park Zoo, where the teens got to see a different side of STEM career pathways, like taking care of animals and working in an outdoor environment. 
  • The internship continued with an extended visit to AFFOA (Advanced Functional Fabrics of America). Over the course of four days, teens learned about the textile industry and “space age tech” being created within their own community. Keisha and Robert at AFFOA introduced the teends to hands-on activities. They practiced sewing by hand, and several mentioned that it was a new skill they enjoyed taking the time to do. They also had the option of creating an original design incorporating an electronic circuit (Lilypad) with sensors.   
  • Week Two closed out with a behind-the-scenes look at the work of Siena Construction whose CFO, Karen, has been an active supporter of the program since its first year. Teens built a structure with Legos and practiced workplace communication through a fun activity. They were excited to see former retail spaces at Cambridgeside being transformed into lab spaces. It gave them an appreciation for the ability to re-imagine a space for a new purpose. 
  • The following week took the teens across the Mystic River to the headquarters of Genesis AEC. Genesis renovates many lab spaces in Cambridge. The company’s Vice President, Chris Ham, wanted to give the teens a 360-degree understanding of how Genesis AEC manages a project from planning to implementation and active operation. The teens saw the office set up with traditional cubicles but also with creative outlets like jigsaw puzzles and a golf putt set up for staff needing a mental break. The following day, the teens traveled to two buildings so they could see a Cambridge-based project in its active construction phase, followed by a trip to Boston’s Seaport District to see a completed project. 
  • Midway through the internship, the teens spent time at Intellia Therapeutics, a leading clinical-stage genome editing company based in Cambridge. They learned how Intellia uses technology to address human disease. Some teens had already taken a biotechnology class at school and were familiar with using pipettes. For others, it was a completely new experience. Teens also had a chance to use a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer and learn how it can be used to analyze an unknown substance. 
  • During a visit to Sanofi, a pharmaceutical and healthcare company (and sponsor of the 2024 Olympics!), the teens completed a Model Pharma activity, which walked them through the process of getting a pharmaceutical drug developed and into the market. They developed an appreciation for the complex factors involved and gained insight into the many roles involved in drug development.  
  • The next visit was to Janey, a Black-owned construction company located in Boston and a new partner for the 2024 program. Nakaila at Janey worked hard to give teens a great experience, where they met staff in a variety of construction roles and visited active project sites.
  • The teens ended Week Four by traveling to the Boston Harbor Islands, where we observed National Parks staff leading educational programs and experienced the natural beauty maintained by the same stewards. Our time there overlapped with another MSYEP program, MLab, which employs teens to lead activities related to textile science. The MLab teens led activities that introduced crocheting, batik, and how to analyze the durability of a fabric.
  • The teens also spent a day at GBH Studios in Allston. They met with staff from Work It Out Wombats, NOVA, and Education and Outreach before going on a tour that included sitting in on a live broadcast. Teens got insight into how a world leader in digital media creates content and publicizes it to the public.  
  • The summer’s final host was Automata, which creates devices to automate lab processes. Many of the teens live in walking distance to the company’s showroom in East Cambridge so it was exciting for them to learn there is a robotics company right in their neighborhood. After meeting with several engineers and sales staff, the teens  spent a day visiting the factory in Newton where they were able to practice using the design software and writing a simple code for the robot to follow. 

While it can be a challenge to measure the direct impact of a program in a short time, Nolan noticed changes in how several participants thought about their future goals and careers. “One of the teens shifted their elevator pitch from ‘I am interested in a career in STEM’ to ‘I am interested in a career in material science’,” she explains. “Material science was a field they had not heard of before the STEAM Careers Internship Program.”

The impact on teens’ professional skillsets was also tangible. “At first, I wasn’t really talking or communicating with the people I worked with,” one teen reflected in their exit survey. “But after [the first week], it got easier for me to talk with them. [As the summer went on,] I would ask clarifying questions or ask to work with others."

In addition to the partners mentioned above, the STEAM Careers Exploration Program works closely with BioMed Realty every year. The success of the program would not be possible with out the dedication of Laura Tower at BioMed Realty, who helps determine host sites that impactful experiences to teens.

The STEAM Careers Exploration Program will be offered to Cambridge teens in Summer 2025 through MSYEP. Application details will be posted on the MSYEP webpage in the spring.

For more information about STEAM Internships offered during the school year, contact Nina Nolan at nnolan@cambridgema.gov.