Emily O’Donnelle

Emily O’Donnelle
Volunteer for Let’s Talk Science Outreach at the Université de Moncton

As an aspiring teacher and volunteer, Emily has become a more confident presenter through volunteering and enjoys inspiring youth with fun science and math activities!

Time volunteering with Let’s Talk Science: 3 years

Area of study: Primary education

Inspirational Moment: It’s always inspiring to see kids having fun, especially when they tell you how much they enjoyed the activity you presented. This year, after I did the Super Science Challenge, I asked the students if they had any questions and one raised his hand and said, “This isn’t a question, I just wanted to tell you you’re really good at doing these activities.” Another put up her hand and asked if we could come back to their class sometime. These comments inspired me because it’s so great to see the impact we volunteers can have on kids and how we can help them have valuable experiences.

Favourite Let’s Talk Science volunteering activity: It’s hard to pick just one because all the activities are fun! But I especially like The Science of Stress, because we know that kids are increasingly stressed so I think it’s very important to talk about the surrounding issues while making them aware of the science involved.

Why do you volunteer with Let’s Talk Science? I started volunteering with Let’s Talk Science because I wanted to get involved on campus and because it gave me an opportunity, as an aspiring teacher, to get some classroom experience. I still volunteer every year because I get to meet new people and I love being able to interact with the kids and help them see that science and math can be fun!

Fun fact: When I started volunteering in my first year, I was so embarrassed to speak French in front of a group (French is my second language) that I always let the other volunteer do the talking and I would just hand out the material. But with all the experiences I’ve had since, many as a volunteer with Let’s Talk Science, I’ve gained confidence and I’m much more at ease addressing a group. Sometimes, it’s now me that does most of the talking when I’m presenting an activity with another volunteer!