I think it is easy to withdraw into research and decrease interactions with the community in today’s world. Many of the events that were held in person are still being held remotely, but it can be difficult to find the motivation to actively participate. In March, many of the outreach events I had signed up to participate in were cancelled. I stopped looking for outreach opportunities because we were under a stay at home order. I recently started to get involved virtually and wanted to share some of the virtual events I found.
I got involved as an officer on the outreach committee at my company which has helped me become more aware of outreach events. Some of the virtual outreach opportunities include being a guest teacher at a high school class remotely, virtual panels on graduate school topics, acting as a virtual science fair judge, virtual resume workshops, and mentoring programs. Social event ideas include a virtual Hogwarts themed escape room, organized Among Us groups, and virtual baking parties.
I hope this short blog gave you ideas for your outreach and social events!