One thing is for sure- working at WMSI is one seriously fun job.

And it’s not like I don’t have anything to compare to. For instance, attempting to premeditate whether a deadly fer-de-lance snake might be precisely where I’m about to place my foot while my eyes are instead glued to binoculars in search of elusive capuchin monkeys… that’s one type of fun.

Trekking all over the high desert under a 114 degree sun in search of rare native plants- also potentially fun. Even deep diving into curriculum generation to teach about wolf conservation is what I would consider a good time!

But who gets to spend their first week at a new job testing whether their LEGO robot prototype is capable of making its way across a table without breaking apart? Or storyboarding a stop motion movie? Or designing an object in CAD and manipulating the melting temperatures of the 3D printer just to see what will happen?

First week 3D printing creations and welcome gifts from coworkers.

STEM educators at WMSI, that’s who!

White Mountain Science Inc., is truly a remarkable gem tucked into Northern New England, where creative play meets critical thinking through intentional STEM programming, access to state of the art tech, and the guiding enthusiasm of a team of passionate program instructors (a.k.a professional science nerds.)

Taylor Johnson, Professional Science Nerd

In my first week at WMSI, I had the rare opportunity to find my inner child and experience a selection of our programming from the perspective of a student. This is a typical WMSI approach- instead of sitting through a lecture on coding, why not try it yourself and figure it out? It is clear how much value WMSI places on building a vibrant and authentic workplace culture where every new staff member is encouraged to “walk the talk” from Day 1.

With my first week under my belt and a calendar that is slowly starting to fill up with things like WMSI Winter Camp, LEGO Artificial Intelligence with the Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach, and trips to partner schools near and far, I can’t wait to see how the creative energy of hundreds of young minds across New Hampshire and Vermont are shaping the future of STEM in the region.

And, importantly, I’m looking forward to continuing my quest to iterate the Silliest LEGO Walker of all time!