New Program Instructor Introduction: Erin Glocke
When I first moved to Littleton in 2016, I remember being instantly smitten. With the mighty Ammonoosuc as its ever-present, ever-flowing backbone, the town felt like a true hidden gem tucked away in the mountains; bursting with budding friendships, engaged community, art, music, and potential. It somehow captured the sweet spot I craved between slow, simple pleasures and a vibrancy that foretold growth and opportunity.
Despite my love for Littleton, a decision steeped mostly in antsy-ness led me to leave after a few years and venture off. One master's degree, three moves, and two jobs later, Littleton crept back into my life like an old friend - the kind you only talk to a few times a year, but when you finally get back together, you laugh late into the night and pick up as though no time has passed. Where I had felt transient, like a seed blowing in the wind, I instead felt an absolute surety - it was time to go back home and plant my roots in a community that, even after years away, still held a special place in my heart.
The open Program Instructor position at WMSI felt like a sign that my decision to return to the North Country was universe-approved. I remember talking to Jeremy Knowlton when he first moved to Littleton about the science education job he was working in a scrappy, bold, and imaginative organization based in Bethlehem. I was thrilled to learn that in the years that I had gone off and grown, WMSI had done the same, building itself into a hub of youth-centered innovation and collaboration that had space for a new team member right at the time when I was looking for a place to land.
My first week at WMSI simultaneously felt like the beginning of an exciting, new adventure and a return to something deeply familiar. The week consisted of tinkering with robotics, conversations about equity in education, walking meetings along the river, and several opportunities to shadow Mobile STEM Lab programs in action. As I’ve sat in various classrooms across the region, surrounded by the sounds of students rifling through LEGO bins, collaborating animatedly, and problem-solving the challenges of their projects, I have been reminded of why I’ve been pulled to education at almost every turn of my life - to help people get excited, curious, and confident.
In only one week, WMSI’s mission of exciting students and teachers about STEM and growing creative-problem solvers has been evident in all that the WMSI team does, both internally and externally. I am thrilled to have found myself enveloped in a culture of constant question-asking and improvement-seeking, where elevating youth experience and growth is always the top priority. Returning to Littleton and joining the WMSI team really feels like a homecoming, and I am excited to see what the future here holds.