Organization & Volunteer/Staff Resources

Thank you being a STEM Girl Day at UT Austin partner and/or volunteer!

BOOKMARK THIS PAGE as it has all the information you need to have a successful STEM Girl Day experience.

Learn more about STEM Girl Day on the "About" webpage.

Read through the Organizer Guidelines, Schedules, Tips & Logistics document for all the information needed for you to have a successful activity set-up and experience at STEM Girl Day. 

Join our STEM Girl Day at UT Austin 2025 Slack. Channels are included for zoned activity areas plus channels #1 through #6 are specific topic communications and questions. See the #channels screenshot to see all the options.

Read through and be familiar with the resources linked on the sidebar to the right and the information below. The more you know, the better prepared you are for the day and the better the experience for all!

On this page:

 

STEM Girl Day Required Meeting & Office Hours:

Required Meeting

All STEM Girl Day organizations must have at least one organization leader join one of the STEM Girl Day Required Meetings in January. These meetings cover basic logistics, review the organization agreements, discuss event resources, share tips for success, and ensure your organization is set up for an amazing STEM Girl Day. The last 15 minutes of the meeting is reserved for answering any organization-specific questions. 

Sign up to join in any one of the following required meetings:

  • 9 - 10 a.m. CT every weekday January 13 through January 17
  • 12 - 1 p.m. CT Monday, January 13
  • 3  - 4 p.m. CT Monday, January 13
  • 5 - 6 p.m. CT Monday, January 13
  • 12 - 1 p.m. CT Monday, January 17
  • 1 - 2 p.m. CT Wednesday, January 22
  • 10 - 11 a.m. CT Friday, January 24
  • 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Friday, January 24

Any organization not participating in one of the required meetings will be removed from STEM Girl Day and not allowed to participate. Sign up for one of the required meetings!

Office Hours

Join WiSTEM staff on Zoom for office hours to get your organization and volunteering questions answered. Drop in any time! Come and go as needed during any or all of the office hours leading up to STEM Girl Day!

  • Monday, February 3, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. CT
  • Week of February 10th - by appointment only, contact Tricia Berry for availability
  • Monday, February 17, 12 - 2 p.m. CT
  • Wednesday, February 19, 9 - 10 a.m. CT
  • Thursday, February 20, 9 - 10 a.m. CT

All office hours are hosted on the same Zoom link: 

One tap mobile:     US: +13462487799,,93904109671# or +17193594580,,93904109671#  
Meeting URL:     https://utexas.zoom.us/j/93904109671   
Meeting ID:     939 0410 9671
 

Volunteer/Organization Timeline:

All rooms and buildings will be open and tables/chairs set up by 9 a.m. on the event date. Signs will be up by 10:00 a.m. Organization volunteers/staff may pick up their volunteer t-shirt beginning at 10:00 a.m. and any time throughout the day at any information tent. Organizations should be ready to open activities by 10:45 a.m.

  • 08:00 a.m. - STEM Girl Day Coordinators check-in. Buildings and rooms should be open. Organizations may begin set-up in their space inside buildings at this time but must understand that general volunteers and coordinators are not available to assist until 10 a.m. when general set-up is completed.
  • 08:30 a.m. - General set-up volunteers check-in.
  • 09:00 a.m. - Rooms should all be open for set-up. Tables and chairs set up. Signs will be up at rooms and outdoor tables as quickly as possible.
  • 10:00 a.m. - Corporate, Community, and Campus Partner organization leads check-in with area coordinator. General volunteers and organization volunteers/staff may pick up a volunteer t-shirts at the nearest information tent. Organization volunteers/staff may arrive earlier for set-up but volunteer t-shirt distribution will not begin before 10:30 a.m. and will continue all day as volunteers/staff come and go.
  • 10:30 a.m. - Volunteer/Staff Safety Training (training will be linked before February 1) for all general volunteers and organization volunteers/staff: Ensure all volunteers/staff have watched the video or watch it together before STEM Girl Day opens - go through all safety information and understand your exit strategy in case of emergency.
  • 10:45 a.m. - All activities are ready to open to participants. Feel free to start your activity a little early if you are ready or kindly ask folks to return at 11:00 at the event start time.
  • 11:00 a.m. - STEM Girl Day official start time for participants.
  • 04:00 p.m. - STEM Girl Day Closing and Pep Rally at the EER Plaza Stage
  • 04:00 p.m. - Activities formally close; General volunteers and organization volunteers/staff begin clean-up.
  • 05:00 p.m. - Facilities begins picking up tables, chairs, trashcans.
  • 06:00 p.m. - Clean-up complete; buildings close.

Parking, Directions, Loading Zones, Maps

  • Volunteer parking will be available in the Speedway Garage (105 E. 27th Street) with restricted access from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. This parking garage is free for the day for volunteers and participants and WILL fill. Paid parking is available in other campus garages. Volunteers are encouraged to carpool or take CapMetro if possible.
  • If you choose to park on the street or attempt other parking lots or areas, park with caution as most campus spaces require permits and you WILL be ticketed if you park incorrectly.
  • See Directions and Parking for additional parking details and maps. There are 3 free parking garages this year (Speedway Garage, 27th Street Garage, Brazos Garage).
  • See Campus Maps for a Google Map overview of STEM Girl Day.
  • Limited loading zone areas are available near/adjacent to buildings and plaza areas. Use your hazards and do not park in spaces that indicate a specific permit is required. You WILL get a ticket if parked incorrectly. Check the Loading Areas Map or Campus Maps for nearest accessible roads or parking for loading/unloading. If you have trouble finding the location by zooming into the Loading Areas Map or Campus Map, contact Women in STEM for suggestions.
    • Be prepared to haul things across campus. Limited hand carts will be available at each information tent for check-out for loading/unloading. An ID will be required for check-out and will be held until the cart is returned. Bring your own wagons, carts, bags, bungee cords or rope if needed.
    • For ECJ/EER loading/unloading, see the ECE/EER Loading Zone Google Map. Pay close attention to fire lanes and do not leave vehicles unattended. Closest parking is the San Jacinto Parking Garage identified on the map - it is paid parking but may be worth it for proximity and ease.
    • Visit the Loading Areas Map for suggested loading/unloading locations. Construction may impact access.
  • See the Detailed Layout Maps for Orgs and Activities (Staff and Volunteer Use Only) PDF or locations, layouts, tables, chairs, water locations and more.

Check-in and Set-up

  • CHECK THE MAPS. Know where you are going! You will receive email communications early the week of the event as to where to check in and where you will be located for the day.
  • Leads for each corporate, campus, or community partner must check in with their designated area STEM Girl Day Coordinator. The logistics email early the week of the event will include this information. All other volunteers for your organization do not need to check in with Women in STEM.
  • You may begin setting up whenever needed that morning. Buildings will open at 8 a.m. Rooms will be unlocked by 9 a.m. at the latest.
  • Tables/chairs/signs will be set up as quickly as possible by set-up volunteers starting at 8:30 a.m.
  • All activities will have signage. Plaza, hallway, or lobby activities will have 2 tables, 4 chairs, and 1 trashcan.
  • Keep any additional signage or decorations within your activity space. Be respectful of others.
  • While not required, general volunteers and organization volunteers/staff are encouraged to stop at the nearest building coordinator table beginning at 10:30 a.m. or whenever they arrive later during the day to pick up the following:
    • a STEM Girl Day volunteer t-shirt to wear throughout the day to be easily recognizable to all visitors (this is a safety feature of the event!).
    • a refillable water bottle (IF NEEDED - limited quantities so please bring your own); water refill stations will be available on the CPE Plaza, Speedway Mall near Monochrome (canoes), and in the buildings – it is recommended you bring your own refillable water bottle.
    • a protein or breakfast bar; lunch will not be provided; snacks will be available at the building coordinator table and information tents throughout the day for volunteers.
    • an “I am a scientist” or “I am an engineer” or another sticker to help our guests see our volunteers as role models, scientists and engineers or other STEM professional.
  • Bring any needed or anticipated or emergency extension cords, power strips, hoses, technology, dongles and adapters, batteries, tape, hands-on activity materials, cleaning supplies, paper towels, etc. unless explicitly discussed and communicated with the organizers. These items are not provided.
  • NO SALES may happen on campus. Do not sell books, swag, or any items. Check with Tricia Berry if you are a student organization interested in selling food.

What is my role as a volunteer?

  1. Use research-based best practices in messaging and activity facilitation to engage girls (and all students) in STEM. See the Messaging and Role Models page for more information.
  2. Make the activity personally relevant. Ask the kids if they can think of something similar in their real life. Science and engineering are everywhere and it’s your job to help them see it.
  3. Provide specific and positive feedback and encourage a growth mindset. When you’re helping the participants, comment on the things that they can control. If you say “that was a really creative way to use the straws in your tower!” it is more positive and easier for them to control than just saying “that’s a smart tower design”. Feedback on attributes and behaviors you observe instead of vague compliments (that's smart, that's awesome, etc.) encourages the growth mindset students need. You want to encourage them to redesign with the materials they have to make their designs even better. Challenging participants to improve their designs encourages a growth mindset.
  4. Connect the activity to STEM! It’s not always as obvious to kids what the link to STEM is with your activity so be explicit. Point out the connection between the activity and how they are using math or science to make it work. Connect the activity to STEM in our everyday world and make comparisons to things students can see or touch in their daily lives. Our goal is for them to leave today feeling excited about the STEM in their worlds.
  5. Ensure the safety of our participants and volunteers. Ensure all participants are engaging with an adult. This is a chaperoned event and no student should be participating without an adult.
  6. Be identifiable. Wear your STEM Girl Day shirt or organization shirt in order to be easily recognizable as a volunteer at Girl Day. 

Emergency Procedures:

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING! Call 911 and notify your building coordinators so they can notify WISTEM staff. All volunteers must watch the recorded  Volunteer Safety Training (training will be linked before February 1). The recording includes important information all volunteers should know about safety procedures, activity facilitation, messaging and more.

​Lost Kids: Take lost children or adults to one of the following locations: 1) any building coordinator station; 2) any information tent; 3) WISTEM headquarters (T-shirt Sales / Info Tent at SSB North Entrance). 

First Aid: All building coordinators and information tents have first aid kits and limited materials to clean spills. Call 911 for any major medical emergencies.

Fire: If there is a fire – get yourself and participants out of the building. Please do not exceed your room capacity so we may stay in compliance with fire code. There should never be more people than there are seats in the room. If your room is full, encourage participants to wait a few minutes til space opens up or encourage them to come back to your activity later.

Disruptive Individuals: If you see a disruptive individual, note their appearance and notify 911 and/or WISTEM staff ASAP.

Armed Subject: If you see an armed subject, remember the five outs: get out (of the area), call out (to 911), keep out (lock or barricade doors), hide out (keep out of the line of sight), and take out (if no other options are available, you need to be prepared to put up a fight).

Weather Emergencies: For weather emergencies, keep everyone in the interior rooms of the buildings.

Bad Weather on Girl Day: STEM Girl Day is too large of an event to be able to reschedule. Should we anticipate that weather be problematic, WISTEM will notify all organization leads regarding any activity relocations, delays, and other logistics.

University Emergency Webpage: https://emergency.utexas.edu/

Clean-up and Checkout

Remember that all organizations agreed on their application and activity registration form to leave campus spaces better than they were found (clean, straightened, etc.). Organization leads also agreed to the following:

  • I agree to ensure our space/room/area is completely cleaned at the conclusion of the event. This includes ensuring all trash is appropriately disposed in trash bags, all signs are removed, all materials returned to their appropriate place, and the space/room/area looks like we have never been there.
  • I understand that my organization will be responsible for paying for any cleaning penalties or damage to our space/room/area. Our organization will be notified within one week after Girl Day about any charges and will be invoiced within one month of Girl Day.

All organizations much follow a check-out process before vacating STEM Girl Day on the event day. This process will be shared closer to the event and will include a brief checklist of clean-up and close-out items for the day.

STEM Girl Day at UT Austin Code of Conduct:

WiSTEM requires all participants, chaperones, volunteers, staff and attendees to agree to the STEM Girl Day at UT Austin Code of Conduct for the expected behavior of those attending STEM Girl Day. Any participant and/or chaperone guilty of improper conduct at the event will be asked to leave. WiSTEM expects participants and chaperones to:

  • Celebrate STEM and the wide range of all the participants, volunteers, organizations, and activities that are part of STEM Girl Day.
  • Embrace a growth mindset where failure is ok, struggles are celebrated, and learning and growing together in STEM is the goal.
  • Engage positively with behavior that is not disruptive, nor interferes or threatens to interfere with any activities on the university premises.
  • Use child-appropriate language and behavior at all times while maintaining friendly and courteous behavior.
  • Use social media appropriately and respect the privacy of other participants, volunteers and staff. Please only take photos of and share photos of your participants.
  • Be respectful to all members of staff, volunteers, company representatives, chaperones, and participants.
  • Be respectful of WiSTEM and university property.
  • Help keep our campus clean by using proper disposal receptacles and methods.
  • Adhere to the campus carry policy for youth programs and not bring concealed handguns to any STEM Girl Day area. See Campus Carry FAQ for more information regarding the K-12 Exclusion Zone.
  • Create a safe and fun environment.

Partnering Organizations Agreements

Partnering organizations agree to:

  • Adhere to university policies and procedures.
  • Provide sufficient volunteers and materials to support engagement throughout the event.
  • Promote event and organization participation according to press kit procedures.
  • Ensure volunteers complete online volunteer training and receive logistics communications.
  • Engage participants in event and age-appropriate hands-on STEM activities.
  • Leave campus spaces better than they were found (clean, straightened, etc.).
  • Be respectful of other activities and partners (stay in designated area, manage lines and noise, etc.).

The following agreements are required on the 2025 Girl Day Campus, Community, and Corporate Partners Registration in order to participate:

  • I understand my organization and volunteers must adhere to all university policies and procedures.
  • I understand that space is limited, and the organizers do their best to accommodate all requests.
  • I understand my organization must complete a UT Austin Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Audit form by December 6, 2024, and have approval by UT EHS in order to participate in the event.
  • I understand a representative of my organization must attend a mandatory meeting in January in order to participate in the event.
  • My organization will make our assigned space work for our activity or demonstration and will adjust our activity or plans as needed.
  • I understand my organization must plan accordingly with materials and volunteers so that our activity will remain open throughout the duration of the event. Closing early is a major disappointment to visitors and does not reflect well upon the organizers, my organization, or the overall event.
  • I understand my organization must provide my own extension cords, power strips, technology, hands-on activity materials, etc., unless explicitly discussed and communicated with the organizers. These items are not provided.
  • I understand my organization must engage enough volunteers to manage my activity/demo throughout the entirety of the event. General volunteers may not be available to assist.
  • I understand all volunteers, employees, and representatives from my organization must complete the required online STEM Girl Day training for the safety and security of our guests and event participants.
  • I understand the signage, activity creation/testing zone, volunteers, etc. for my organization's activity must be confined to the space assigned out of respect for other organizations participating.
  • I understand that marketing and media, including communications with news outlets, must be coordinated through Women in STEM (WiSTEM) at UT Austin. My organization will use appropriate hashtags and tag event organizers when posting about the event.
  • I understand that UT Board of Regents prohibits solicitation on campus without an approved written agreement. Non-UT organizations may not sell anything on campus (swag, subscriptions, anything). UT Austin student organizations must get approval from WiSTEM for food or swag sales at STEM Girl Day.
  • I agree to read all organizer communications, pass on appropriate information to my volunteers, staff, and other organization leaders or participants, and follow all safety training requirements.
  • I agree to ensure our space/room/area is completely cleaned at the conclusion of the event. This includes ensuring all trash is appropriately disposed of in trash bags, all signs are removed, all materials are returned to their appropriate place, and the space/room/area looks like we have never been there.
  • I understand that my organization will be responsible for paying for any cleaning penalties or damage to our space/room/area including desks, floors, sidewalks, concrete, bricks, walls, ceilings, etc. Our organization will be notified within one week after STEM Girl Day about any charges and will be invoiced within one month of STEM Girl Day.
  • I agree to check out with the appropriate information tent or building coordinator or online as instructed before our organization departs the event.

Back to top

Thank you again for being STEM Girl Day Partner and/or volunteer and thanks to our STEM Girl Day sponsors for helping us make this event happen. Have a great day!

Organization & Volunteer Resources