Co-directors: Nalat Siwapornchai and Arianna Lord

Model Organism Zoo is a STEM outreach initiative aimed toward middle/high schoolers in Boston! We take commonly used model organisms in the lab like flies, worms, zebrafish, and cells, along with microscopes and short activities, to schools and community events. We focus on sharing our love for science and demystifying what it means to be a real scientist! To see us in action, check out our website for photos and more information.

MoZ volunteers should: be enthusiastic for communicating science to a general audience. Previous experience working with kids/teens is not required, but helpful.

MoZ volunteers don’t need to: have extensive knowledge of or experience working with model organisms, experience in STEM education.

Interested? Email us at modelorganismzoo@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering at events.

We are also looking for a new Co-Director: someone who is interested in teaching children (K-8) about model organisms, why we use them as scientists, and to generate enthusiasm for careers in science! This person will manage events and facilitate volunteer opportunities for other graduate students. We have a popular curriculum with organisms including: flies, worms, cells, and zebrafish, and there are abundant opportunities to grow programming.

The new Co-Director should be excited to take ownership of this event and continue to expand its reach to diverse communities within and outside of Boston and Cambridge. Ideally this person would commit to serving as Co-Director for two years, serving with the current Co-Director for one year and helping train the next Co-Director over the second year.

For more information or to express interest please contact us at: modelorganismzoo@gmail.com.