ABSTRACT
That is why four years ago, I decided to do something about it. I was looking for a way that I could contribute to the education of our children and/or contribute to the scientific literacy of the public at large. I thought about teaching, but in the United States, the system does not encourage retired/experienced scientists to go into teaching-the certification process is time consuming, cumbersome, and not inexpensive for someone who is approaching the twilight of his career. Anyway, I came across this program which was affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) called the Senior Scientists and Engineers (SSE) science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) volunteer program, which placed retired scientists and engineers into elementary, middle, and high schools in the Washington, DC, area with the objective of applying their experience to help teachers put a spark back into the science curriculum. This was achieved by asking each volunteer to commit to an entire school year, by dedicating a few hours of their time every week.
