Elon Volunteers!'s only STEM service program brings accessible education to kids in Alamance County.
In Spring 2026, Elon Volunteers! started their first STEM-related (science, technology, engineering and math) program, combining hands-on learning and a love of science for volunteers and participants. Imagine Science, a workshop partnership with Red Shield Youth Center, gives students K-12 a chance to learn science through different experiments led by volunteers.
“The program’s nice for STEM students who typically have very busy schedules but are looking for ways to volunteer” said Kyle Anderson, associate director of the Kernodle Center for Civic life and supervisor of Imagine Science. “There could be some sense of connection between what those students are doing in the classroom here, or interests they might have, or maybe they really liked science class when they were younger. So it’s a way to apply things they’re interested in and then benefit kids that we work with.”
Imagine Science runs workshops twice a month on Thursdays, with spots for five volunteers, along with the two student coordinators, Julia Polen ’28 and Peyton Kalan ’27. Both coordinators are in STEM majors, Polen being a nursing student and Kalan studying biochemistry on the pre-med track and share a deep passion for watching kids get excited about learning science.
“It all just feels very meaningful. Some volunteer experiences, you don’t really know what the bigger picture is,” said Kalan. “But for Imagine Science, we really try to tell our volunteers why we’re doing this. These kids might not have a lot of experiences like this. Having a science presence is so important not just for Elon, but for little kids as well, because not a lot of kids who come from lower income families think of science as an option for them.”
Community engagement within Alamance County is an essential part of Elon Volunteers!, and by working with the students at Red Shield Youth Center, Elon students are able to see just how great an impact their enthusiasm for STEM can have. As a newer program, Imagine Science has a lot of potential for growth, expanding to more community partners or holding more frequent workshops in the future. Already, however, the impact it has on local K-12 students in the community is great.
“The kids are very passionate,” said Polen. “All of them are really interactive and they’re all really friendly. So I think it’s honestly a really great thing to do. The kids all really enjoy doing these experiments and they enjoy everything Elon.”