Building and Expanding a Shadowing Program for Impact Beyond a Single Day
Bear Down Gym 266
The College of Science Career Center's Science Shadows program has evolved from a single-day experiential offering into an engagement initiative that connects students, alumni, and employers in meaningful ways. Free to both students and participating organizations, this program was built to help students develop social capital, gain workplace exposure, and establish professional relationships. Over the past few years, the Science Shadows has grown beyond the original scope: former student participants have returned as alumni hosts, a partner organization is in the process of launching a new internship program, and an on-campus collaboration is now in the planning stages to develop a multi-week co-curricular experience with a returning host organization. Attendees will receive a short overview of the Science Shadows model alongside success stories, followed by a guided brainstorming activity with a structured worksheet to help participants identify key stakeholders and contacts for either launching a new job shadow program or growing an existing one beyond its initial engagement.
Session Outcomes
Identify the foundational components needed to design, launch, or strengthen a student job shadowing program that supports career exploration and relationship-building.
Analyze how experiential learning initiatives can evolve into longer-term partnerships that support student engagement, alumni involvement, and employer collaboration.
Develop an actionable framework for expanding a shadowing program beyond a single-day experience through strategic stakeholder engagement and cross-campus collaboration.
Presenter
Lyndsey Edmons
Director, College of Science Career Center
University of Arizona
