Maria with her students at PE!

Please join us in recognizing Maria Fernanda Avila, who is coming up on her 4th anniversary with Project Exploration! Maria joined PE as a STEAMbassador during the summer of 2020, representing the first ever cohort of STEAMbassadors. 

STEAMbassadors is a collective initiative of Project Exploration, Northwestern University, and Truman College wherein youth ages 18-24 who are pursuing degrees in STEM and/or education are recruited from the same neighborhoods we serve to be trained to lead STEAM experiences for their younger peers. At the same time that our teams are deeply investing in the personal and career development of STEAMbassadors, they serve as community leaders and mentors for K-8 students citywide who might not otherwise be aware of such pathways to careers in education and STEM.

When we first met Maria, she was pursuing her associate’s degree in arts. However, after working remotely with a PE summer camp that first summer leading curriculum in partnership with Lincoln Park Zoo, her aspirations changed. At the same time that Maria continued her work with PE, leading programs in engineering, aviation, life sciences, chemistry, and the medical field, Maria earned her associate’s and began pursuing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. 

As a current student teacher, Maria has used her teaching experience at PE to build a teaching philosophy based in student involvement and engagement in the curriculum. “I believe students will learn through hands-on activities, they will get their minds on through fun activities, through real life experiences,” she said. This is core to the approach PE utilizes, and a philosophy Maria has practiced for nearly 4 years as a STEAMbassador. 

Maria’s caring demeanor, passionate spirit and dedication continue to shine even though her hours recently became more limited due to student teaching requirements. She comes to the STEM Learning Center daily after long days of student teaching, lending her support especially to our bilingual students. She is also engaged in developing curriculum for PE programs and professional development for new STEAMbassadors. We’re fortunate to have Maria on our team of program facilitators and educators at PE!