Volunteer

Volunteering at the Firewheel STEM Institute offers a unique opportunity to make a real, visible impact in the lives of young people while being part of one of Arizona’s most innovative hands-on STEM organizations. Volunteers work directly with students who often lack access to advanced science and engineering program,

mentoring robotics teams, supporting competitions, helping in the STEM Center, or assisting with outreach initiatives like underwater robotics, FIRST programs, and the Mobile STEM Center. Whether you are an engineer, educator, college student, or community member, Firewheel allows you to share your skills, inspire future innovators, and help bridge the STEM divide. It’s a chance not only to give back, but to help build confidence, opportunity, and real career pathways for the next generation—while being part of a passionate, mission-driven community that is changing what’s possible for students across Arizona.

Please review the volunteer opportunities below.

Event Volunteer

Firewheel STEM Institute hosts two annual competitions that require support from lots of volunteers. In addition, are launching a Mobile STEM Center that will require some volunteers to help run it. If you are interested in serving any of these roles/events, please click the link below to fill out an interest form. Volunteers can be aged 16 or older, although some positions require an older minimum age.

FIRST Lego League (FLL) December Tournament: Firewheel, in partnership with Microchip Technology, hosts a 1-day FLL tournament each December in Chandler. We have volunteer positions for: queuers, check-in table, support table, game referees, judges, practice table supervision, game field resetters, and general support. No experience needed, although some positions will require training or an overview prior to the event.

National Underwater Robotics Challenge (NURC): Firewheel holds a 3-day underwater robotics competition at ASU Polytechnic campus pool each summer. We have volunteer positions for: queuers, check-in table, judges, pool referees (requires SCUBA certification), and general support. No experience needed, although some positions will require training or an overview prior to the event. See https://nurc.us for more information on NURC.

Mobile STEM Center: Firewheel built a custom trailer to take STEM outreach on the road! We intend to teach STEM concepts to students from 1st grade to high school with the Mobile STEM Center. We are in need of volunteers to help design and/or teach STEM curriculum. We would prefer volunteers to have some experience with either designing school curriculum or teaching (formally or informally) school-aged students.

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Program Mentor

Firewheel sponsors three robotics teams. All of the teams operate out of Firewheel STEM Center in Chandler. Seeking to bridge one of the main divides that exists for young people participating in robotics, these programs are free-of-charge to participants. As such, having volunteer mentors is essential for the operation of these teams. If you are interested in volunteering with any of them, please click the link below to fill out an interest form. Volunteers for these three teams must be at least 18 years old and pass a background check.

Desert WAVE Underwater Autonomous Vehicle (AUV) team: In August 2024, this all-women's collegiate robotics team won the international RoboSub competition against over 40 different colleges from around the world! RoboSub is the main competition that Desert WAVE competes in. They meet year round, although more frequently from January - August. Desert WAVE seeks volunteers with experience in electronics, underwater robotics, acoustic communications, computer vision, artificial intelligence, or programming. Mentors can be male or female. The time commitment is a few hours each week, potentially more in the summer months leading up to the RoboSub competition in August.

Degrees of Freedom (FIRST Robotics Competition) team: Degrees of Freedom is a high school robotics team that competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) program. While this program meets and competes year-round, the main build season is January - April, with key competitions held in March and April. Mentors for Degrees of Freedom do not need any experience with robotics and the range of skills we teach the students is wide: electronics / electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer aided design, manufacturing, programming, project management, teamwork, conflict resolution, problem solving, leadership, public speaking, social media, budgeting, fundraising, community involvement / outreach, and many more. The time commitment is about 6-10 hours each week, potentially more in the winter months leading up to the 2 regional competitions in March. If you have interest or experience in any of these areas, please fill out the interest form.

Binary Bots (FIRST Tech Challenge) team: this team comprised of students in 6th-9th grades and compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) program. The team meets year-round, but their main build season is September - February. As with Degrees of Freedom, mentors for these teams do not need any robotics experience and the range of skills is similar, although tailored for younger students. The time commitment is about 4-6 hours each week, potentially more in the fall and winter months when their competition season is active. If you have interest or experience in any of these areas, please fill out the interest form.

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Staff Support

Firewheel STEM Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with 1 full-time and 3 part-time staff members. As a small business with limited resources, we seek volunteers who can augment our staff in various capacities. Below are some of the areas where we are seeking volunteer support. It is possible that some of these could turn into paid, staff-level positions depending on Firewheel’s future budget. Staff Support volunteers must be at least 18 years old and pass a background check. College students are welcome to apply and we can work with you to structure these as an unpaid internship.

Video Studio Administrator: Responsibilities include setup of studio to enable video recording / broadcasting and video editing, facilitating the creation of 1 video broadcast / segment per 1-2 months, training other interested mentors or students on how to use the equipment and studio, and enabling mobile broadcasting or recording (e.g. at events or competitions).

Human Resources Administrator: Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement a comprehensive set of HR policies and procedures suitable for non-profits.
- Evaluate HR current policies and procedures, recommend what we need to implement, and lead the implementation.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date HR records and documentation.
- Ensure the organization complies with all relevant employment laws and regulations.
- Evaluate volunteer, mentor, and employee onboarding and training, recommend what should be added or changed, and lead the implementation.
- Evaluate existing Employee Handbook and make recommendations on any changes or additions. Be the primary owner for the Employee Handbook and lead any future revisions of it.
- Evaluate existing Volunteer / Mentor Handbook and make recommendations on any changes or additions. Be the primary owner for the Volunteer / Mentor Handbook and lead any future revisions of it.
- Lead creation of a Student Handbook. May need to work with the various program leads in developing the content. Handbook material may need to be customized per program.
- Lead the onboarding process for new volunteers, mentors, and employees.
  - Setup interviews, ensure background checks are completed, ensure waivers and handbooks are reviewed and signed.
- Help managers facilitate performance reviews, provide feedback, and address performance issues fairly and consistently.
- Address employee concerns, mediate conflicts, and ensure a positive and respectful work environment.
- We would also welcome any recommendations around effective leadership and management practices, employee reviews and evaluations, and anything else that will help us become a top-notch employer and work environment.

Strategy / Marketing: Responsibilities include development and implementation of a social media plan (what platforms to use, what to post, how often, who should post, etc.), review of existing STEM programs and recommendations on how to improve or expand them, recommendation on any other programs we should support and how to implement (and staff) them, creation or updates on the various marketing material and collateral we have (brochures, posters, banners, 1-pagers, web content, outreach materials, etc.), branding recommendations (creation of a brand guidelines document), recommendations and creation of college-readiness workshops or curricula. A bigger, more comprehensive output would be a long-term plan for Firewheel and its STEM Center. We have reached capacity in our building and need to determine how, when, and if to expand. This plan would consist of looking at various options with pros/cons, generation of funding options, potential layout/floor plans, potential locations for expansion, etc. We would also like some recommendations on how we can utilize the STEM Center during daytime hours. Since our key STEM programs for youth take place in the evenings, the STEM Center is mostly vacant and unused during the daytime. We would like a review of potential programs that might be supported during daytime hours for retirees, unemployed individuals, or anyone else we could support during those hours. If we do move or expand, utilization of the space during the daytime would be something we most likely would need to support.
Jeep Hack Coordinator: Responsibilities include planning, organizing and coordinating the Jeep Hack annual event as well as securing all the materials for the event. Working with Magical Motors to secure the kids in need as well as what jeep they want to modify. If interested, more details can be provided.

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