Student Assistant - Florida Inventors Hall of Fame IGNITE Education and Community Outreach

Program Overview
The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame (FIHF) is a statewide program that is operated within the USF Faculty Honors Department in USF Research and Innovation. FIHF encourages individuals of all backgrounds to strive toward the betterment of Florida and society through continuous, groundbreaking innovation by celebrating the incredible scientific work that has been or is being accomplished in Florida and by its citizens. In an effort to instill the innovative mindset for K-20 students throughout Florida, FIHF has created a signature invention and innovation education and community outreach program titled IGNITE for the purpose of Inspiring Generations of New Inventors Through Engagement.

Position Summary
The position supports the FIHF IGNITE Education and Community Outreach Program efforts in planning, implementation and execution.  This includes working collaboratively with the FIHF team as well as existent community and university partners.  The position also assists with developing new partnerships especially in traditionally underrepresented communities working with the Program Manager and Program Coordinator as well as other community stakeholders to develop K-12 invention education curriculum and opportunities; assisting FIHF team in creating educational museum exhibits; generating opportunities for community education and engagement; developing and implement goals, operating procedures and programmatic efforts; monitoring and collecting data from program benchmarks for analysis; tracking outreach efforts to produce reports for various audiences; assisting with identification and administration of grants; fulfilling benchmarks within USF's Strategic Goals.
 

Position Responsibilities

The position will interact with various stakeholders, both internal and external to USF, including, FIHF Inductees, executives, university faculty, educators, entrepreneurs, members of the innovation community and more

• Assist with coordinating, supporting and executing the educational outreach programs for K-12 students,
• Assist with identifying innovation stakeholders at USF and across Florida to develop invention education outreach programs and curriculum that will provide K-12 and college students with the opportunity to engage with inventors and develop real-world problem-solving skills in keeping with the innovation continuum and outcomes.
• Assists with the creation of invention education materials and programmatic support for FIHF Museum Exhibits.
• Assists with developing, cultivating, recruiting and maintaining IGNITE Network, the network of individuals and organizations that agree to serve as a resource for the FIHF educational and community outreach program.
• Assists with the development of data collection methods (both qualitative and quantitative) for program evaluation to determine impact and effectiveness.  
• Together with FIHF and USF Faculty Honors team, supports implementation of communications/marketing plans to promote department and program initiatives, events, and publications. 
• Assists with and/or facilitates the creation and organization of meetings, workshops, forums, events, training workshops, webinars, and other department and program-hosted convenings, including the Annual Induction Ceremony.
   

Minimum Qualifications 

Must be a current USF student. 

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with teaching, whether formal or informal; valid driver’s license and means of transportation. 

Special Skills/Training

Experience with customer service, relationship building and interacting with stakeholders at all levels.  

Experience working with k-12 students in some form. 

Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

Must be flexible and able to work both independently and in a team environment. 

Experience measuring qualitative and quantitative data. 

Experience using Microsoft Office suite, project management applications, relational databases, as well as graphic design products like Canva.

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF 

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