Why volunteer for taste of science?

Our festival is so much more than just a series of events in bars

We are run 100% by volunteers, from senior management down. We’re a national organization with community roots. Our team is hardworking, creative, passionate and dedicated to making science more accessible to everyone. Whether you’re an experienced event coordinator, or just interested with a desire to learn, there are many ways you can get involved.

Parmvir Bahia, Director surrounded by the **taste of science** team in the SF Peninsula, 2018

City Chapters

City Coordinators are the glue. They are the bridge between taste of science central and their local chapter. Their role is to oversee every aspect of festival organization. As Project Managers, they initiate, plan, ensure correct execution, and evaluate the success of their city’s events. They learn to manage their time and their city’s budget as well as coordinating their fellow team mates.

Event Coordinators bring together the guest presenters, with the venues with their audiences. They craft each event around a theme, then handle the logistics coordinating the volunteers, necessary equipment and resources. The best event coordinators consider how best to connect their audience with science and scientists to effectively engage the public.

Speaker Liaisons act as the primary point of contact for guest presenters as they are familiarized with our events. They work closely with Event Coordinators and Web Managers to ensure everyone is kept up to date with who is participating and what their requirements are.

Social Media Managers help deliver our message and brand. Using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, they use their creative skills to help design campaigns to promote events and engage our audience with stories about science in their local communities. Social Media Managers work closely with Event Coordinators and their Speaker Liaison.

Web Managers update their city’s web page to include the latest team members. They also make individual pages for each event. This is an opportunity to develop their skills using a web CMS system, while showing some creative flair in how they choose to display event information.

Publicity Managers promote our taste of science festival by creating unique campaigns spotlighting events in their city. Their role is to design flyers, write press releases, and develop partnerships with like-minded organizations to cross-promote.

Funding Managers help raise money by contacting potential sponsors, soliciting donations and applying for small grants. This role requires building relationships with local communities and businesses. We’ll be on hand for anyone seeking help with grant writing.