Letters to a Pre-Scientist: Using Snail Mail to Broaden Student Awareness of What Scientists Look Like and Do at Work

The media often portrays "scientists" quite narrowly, and, as a result, many young people have a limited understanding of their options if they want to "become a scientist when they grow up". Letters to a Pre-Scientist (LPS) runs a pen pal program where middle school students connect with scientists from around the world through snail mail letters during science class. The program gives students in low-income communities the opportunity to write to REAL SCIENTISTS working in different STEM fields and occupations to broaden student awareness of the many career options in science. Since 2010, LPS has grown from a volunteer passion project in one teacher’s classroom to a non-profit organization operating in 24 classrooms in six states serving over 1700 students in 2019-20. Over the past two years, the LPS team has used creativity and resourcefulness to test the scalability of the model and iterate program components while formalizing and fundraising for the first time. The result of their efforts is a low-cost, remote intervention that can be implemented in any community with access to a post office.

The mission of LPS is to demystify STEM careers and empower all students to see themselves as future scientists. Students cannot aspire to careers they don’t know exist, and without intervention, students from low-income communities are often excluded from the economic opportunities and career prospects STEM careers offer. Learn more on our website: www.prescientist.org.