Volunteer

We rely on the efforts of our volunteers in communities across the country. They are the backbone of our organization, and their dedication to CEF and science education is inspiring.

Our volunteers spread the word about our programs and recruit friends and colleagues to help implement and sponsor them, which is essential to our program growth. We’re grateful to all of our volunteers for their efforts!

Want to get involved in your community?

CEF offers a variety of opportunities to volunteer in your community or nationwide to support CEF and implement our programs. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Challenge

The Challenge is a free team-based competition focused on problem-solving and collaboration for students in grades 5-8 that takes place over the course of the school year. Teams participate in a timed competition and produce a video exploring the role of science concepts related to an identified theme. In-person and virtual volunteer opportunities are available to support students throughout the school year.

Challenge Organizer: Organize an in-person Regional Challenge by planning, managing, and hosting a community’s Regional Challenge event (3-6 hours per month throughout the school year; ~50 hours total)

- Day-Of Volunteers: Provide day-of in-person Regional Challenge support (3-6 hours on day of event at event location)

Video Volunteer: Review and score team video submissions as part of the competition (4-5 hours over the course of a month). Reviewing videos is done on an easy-to-use platform from the comfort of your home – No STEM expertise is required.
Team Coordinator: An educator, family member, or tutor (usually a teacher or community leader [e.g., Scout leaders]) who prepares teams of students to compete in the Challenge. Team Coordinators ensure teams are registered and help teams prepare for the Challenge using CEF-provided study materials.

For more details about how to volunteer and support the Challenge, contact us at challenge@chemed.org.

Supporting CEF nationwide

If you would like to sponsor the Challenge or CEF, please see our Sponsorship page or contact Chief Development Officer Brandy Gates (bgates@chemed.org).