Volunteer Presenter/Mentor

About the role

STEM Coding Lab is seeking tech professionals to anchor our CS Explorers Career Literacy Program. This isn't a standard classroom lecture—it's an interactive, high-energy summer experience designed to show middle schoolers that a career in tech is exciting, creative, and within their reach.

The Mission

STEM Coding Lab is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2017, with the mission of providing K-8 children living in underserved communities with CS/AI/STEM skills needed to succeed in a digital economy. SCL delivers 180+ classes every week across more than 30 schools and institutions to more than 4,300 K-8 children. Programming is primarily delivered during the school day (70%) and after school (15%), with the remainder through summer camps and special events. SCL’s educators deliver an experiential, hands-on learning model grounded in robotics and game design. More than 80% of participating students are eligible for Title I federal free lunch, and SCL has maintained a 100% retention rate among its school partners. For more information, please visit our website www.stemcodinglab.org, or email info@stemcodinglab.org.

Who We're Looking For

We are seeking professionals (or enthusiasts!) of all career levels, with the following areas of expertise, that have a desire to inspire the next generation of tech professionals:

• Design & Art: UX/UI Design, 3D Modeling, Industrial Design, Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
• Data & AI: Data Analysis, Data Science, Machine Learning
• Robotics & Engineering: Robotics/Automation Engineering, Software Engineering

Volunteer Roles

• Guest Presenters
• Commitment: One 45-minute interactive session.
• What you’ll do: Share your career journey and host a "day-in-the-life" activity. Make it hands-on!
• Deadline: Submit your activity plan 14 days before your scheduled date.
• Career Panelists
• Commitment: 2 hours per session.
• What you’ll do: Sit on a professional panel to provide students with feedback on their work. You’ll offer real-world context for the skills they’re learning and keep the encouragement high.
• Project Mentors
• Commitment: 1 hour per session.
• What you’ll do: Work with small groups (2-3 students) to help them troubleshoot and polish their projects. You are their "technical consultant" and biggest cheerleader.

2026 Schedule & Location

• Location: Various sites throughout Pittsburgh, PA (Allegheny County).
• Sessions:
  • Session 1: June 29 – July 9
  • Session 2: July 13 – July 23
  • Session 3: July 27 – August 6

Pre-Program Requirements

• June 2026: 1-hour virtual info session + volunteer application and 1-hour virtual training

WHAT WE DO

STEM Coding Lab is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2017, with the mission of providing K-8 children living in underserved communities with CS/AI/STEM skills needed to succeed in a digital economy. SCL delivers 180+ classes every week across more than 30 schools and institutions to more than 4,300 K-8 children. Programming is primarily delivered during the school day (70%) and after school (15%), with the remainder through summer camps and special events. SCL’s educators deliver an experiential, hands-on learning model grounded in robotics and game design. More than 80% of participating students are eligible for Title I federal free lunch, and SCL has maintained a 100% retention rate among its school partners. For more information, please visit our website www.stemcodinglab.org, or email info@stemcodinglab.org.

STEM CODING LAB HISTORY & FOUNDERS

STEM Coding Lab was started by the Penninti family in 2017. Viv Penninti came to Pittsburgh from India in 1980 to get his master’s in Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He subsequently got his MBA from CMU and landed his first job at MSA, a local (Pittsburgh) data analytics firm. Thus was born his love for the city of Pittsburgh and his adopted country which welcomed him with open arms and provided opportunities to succeed based on merit and hard work. Viv went on to become the Chief Executive Officer at MSA, iGate, and other companies, and started several companies himself, mostly in the fields of information technology and data analytics.

Viv believes that digital literacy is key to the success of our children. His local experience, though, indicated a major “digital divide” in society where a large number of the less fortunate children simply did not have access to the resources needed to succeed. Thus was born STEM Coding Lab – an organization focused on providing computer education to underserved children. This has been Viv’s way to contribute and payback to the community that welcomed him and nurtured him for the past 30+ years. A devoted husband & father and beloved by his employees, family, and friends, STEM Coding Lab is thankful for his generosity and leadership.