210. Parents as Partners in STEM
10/2/2026
When we think about parent volunteers, we often picture parents helping with classroom parties, fundraisers, field trips, or other special events. But what if we invited parents to be involved in the academic work happening at school, too?
In this episode, Natasha and Claire brainstorm ways schools and teachers could rethink parent involvement, especially in STEM and science classrooms. Could parent volunteers help make hands-on science labs more manageable? Could PTOs create academic volunteer roles? Could parents share their careers and expertise, help gather materials, support STEM projects, or simply provide another set of hands during activities that are difficult for one teacher to manage alone?
This episode isn't a list of things every school should be doing. It's a conversation about what's possible and an invitation to think beyond the usual ways we ask families to help.
If you've ever wished you had an extra set of hands during a science lab, this episode might have you looking at your parent community in a whole new way.
Click below to watch or listen to this episode of The STEM Space!
You can also download the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Check out the full video above or the edited audio podcast episode of our discussion below!
Links from the Show:
Related The STEM Space Podcast Episodes
Vivify STEM Blog Posts
Vivify STEM Lessons
Space Club Mission to Moon or Mission to Mars - FREE!
Other STEM Resources
Subscribe and Leave a Review:
Subscribe to The STEM Space podcast to get the latest episodes full of useful links and resources for your STEM education journey. Click here for iTunes.
Please leave us a review here and let us know what you think of our show. We would love to hear from you and are truly grateful for your support so that we can continue to produce helpful content! Click here and select “Ratings and Reviews”, then “Write a Review”. Thank you so much!
