Looking for something fun to do? Volunteer for Science Rendezvous!

Looking for a fun way to connect with people, share your passion and knowledge and gain some practical skills? Think about volunteering for Science Rendezvous!

On May 11-13, the largest celebration of science and engineering in Canada, Science Rendezvous, will be held in-person at the UM Fort Garry campus for the first time since 2019.

Started in Toronto in 2008, Science Rendezvous is a festival that brings science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) research and innovation out of the lab and onto the street in a festive and engaging style. The festival features stage shows, robotics,  large-scale experiments and demonstrations designed to educate and delight the minds of curious individuals of all ages.

This year, the festival will feature over 40 unique interactive science booths with hands-on experiments, make-and-take projects and demonstrations to stimulate the mind and excite the senses. Kids, schools, and parents will be invited to campus to participate in practical fun and mind-blowing activities.

Because of the festival’s massive scale and diverse offerings, volunteers from a variety of disciplines are essential to making it all possible.

We are seeking hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers who are current UM students or alumni to be a part of this exciting event. You don’t have to be in the faculty of science to participate, just excited about science and community!

The variety of volunteer roles available is vast and there is something for everyone regardless of discipline.

Volunteer roles available include:

• Show team (chemistry and physics shows)
• Booth captain (in charge of the booth)
• Activity captain (in charge of the activity)
• Booth volunteer
• Activity volunteer
• Set-up volunteer
• Food runner
• School group guide
• Greeter
• Lost child station
• Sidewalk mural
• Information person
• T-shirt seller
• Parking usher
• Photographer
• Show usher
• Surveyor
• Crowd gatherer

Volunteer Schedule:

• Discover Days – May 11^th and 12^th
  • Volunteer shifts from 7am-4pm
  • Activities take place from 11-2
• Science Rendezvous public day – May 13^th
  • Volunteer shifts from 8am – 6pm
  • Open to the public 11-4

Why volunteer?

First and foremost, because it’s fun! Science Rendezvous is an excellent opportunity to work with other students, harness your creativity and gain leadership skills. Previous festivals have included innovative and artistic creations such as a robotic painting snake, a musical keyboard made of fruit, Oobleck run, homemade slime, liquid nitrogen ice-cream, a musical theremin, potion classes offered by chemists, and feats of physics stunt show. 

Volunteers are provided training, snacks and meals throughout the day(s), and hours for student experience recordsThis is a chance to share your passion and delight in getting the public hooked on your passions too. 

“Volunteering for events like this is really beneficial,” says Science Rendezvous leadership volunteer Anita Oghenetejiri Elohor Ayam, who has been volunteering for the Faculty of Science since 2019. “In addition to fostering the minds of the next generation, you get to meet interesting people and make lasting connections, and personally I think that’s an excellent thing to do.”

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to try new things and meet new people!

The deadline to sign up to volunteer is April 1. Sign up here!

Volunteer opportunities include the public school (Discovery Days) May 11-12, and the main public event day, (Science Rendezvous), Saturday, May 13.