Undergraduate Student Experience and Motivation Influence Perceived Benefits of Participation in Community Outreach

Community outreach benefits undergraduate students by providing opportunities to deepen content knowledge, practice teaching, develop a sense of scientific authority, and enhance communication skills. To evaluate whether students with varying academic levels or prior teaching experience differ in their motivations for volunteering and perceived benefits from Brain Awareness Week (BAW) outreach, we administered entry and exit surveys to undergraduate volunteers. The surveys included quantitative and qualitative questions to assess demographics, motivations, and prior outreach and teaching experience. Factor analysis of motivation items identified three constructs: career development, communication training, and STEM advocacy. Most students reported volunteering because they valued community outreach, enjoyed neuroscience, and/or wanted to enhance their resume / CV or applications. Lower-level students (freshmen and sophomores) were more motivated by career development ( p = 0.014, d = 0.68) and reported greater need for communication training ( p = 0.011, d = 0.69) compared to upper-level students. STEM advocacy scores were significantly higher among students with prior teaching experience, regardless of academic level ( p = 0.001, d = 0.84). Exit surveys indicated that career development was positively correlated with increased confidence in approaching faculty ( r = 0.58, p = 0.006) and communicating with diverse audiences ( r = 0.56, p = 0.005). These findings align with established literature on the benefits of outreach and support tailoring recruitment and training strategies based on students’ prior experience to enhance both engagement and educational outcomes.