Setting Your Sights - Get Involved
ARVO’s Setting Your Sights Program aims to motivate and guide the next generation of eye and vision researchers, especially youth from underrepresented groups, by encouraging interactions with members of the research community like you. Your level of involvement can range from mentoring a student to simply letting us know about upcoming STEM events (e.g., at your institution).
If you are a researcher, clinician, educator, or post-doc who would like to help students build a solid foundation to enter the field, take a look at some of the ways you can get involved:
| Opportunities | Details/Examples | Get Involved |
|---|---|---|
Become a Setting Your Sights Advocate
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Talk about your career with high-school-aged individuals, college students and others possibly interested in the eye and vision field. Also feel free to suggest potential speakers. ARVO staff will assist in reviewing presentation content and materials, plus will provide tools and evaluation mechanisms so you may present in a virtual or in-person setting. |
Sign up
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Submit information on upcoming STEM education or outreach events.
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Submit event information
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Share STEM course materials and learning tools that can be incorporated into shareable resources
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Lab-produced images, surgery videos
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Upload resource materials
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Submit information on upcoming STEM contests and challenges(international and national)
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Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), MathCounts
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Submit contest information
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Share information on STEM learning programs offered by your school or institution
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Clubs, apprenticeships, observership programs, lab visits
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Share STEM program information
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Mentor a high-school student(open to ARVO members only) |
Meet with a high-school student interested in visual sciences on your own time |
Apply to be a mentor |
Interested in volunteering in multiple areas? Complete this form to get started!
Benefits to Get Involved
- Increase awareness of the eye and vision field within the next generation
- Cultivate interest in STEM within multiple settings
- Improve representation of women and members of underrepresented groups in the vision and STEM field
- Showcase your expertise and build your portfolio
- Engage with other enthusiastic researchers and be part of an amazing community
Have questions? Contact us at outreach@arvo.org
Meet an Aspiring Vision Scientist: Sarah Lee
"Ever since I can remember, I have been drawn toward the STEM field, and I became especially interested in the eye and vision world when I found out my younger cousin has congenital cataracts." As a high school junior in Utah, Sarah was paired with an ARVO mentor and since went on to win her school district's STEM fair and was named 'Grand Champion' of the state STEM fair. She also qualified to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair in Dallas, Tex. Graduating from high school this year, Sarah is one of the few accepted to the University of Pennsylvania's dual-degree Life Sciences and Management program. "ARVO has been an integral part of my high school experience that had a huge impact on me. I believe that ARVO has deepened my relationship with the STEM field and will continue to inspire me as a student at UPenn. From the bottom of my heart, I would not have been able to accomplish so much without ARVO."
