Choosing a career in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) can be exciting—but it can also be overwhelming. PROVOCA, an initiative of Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), was created in Chile to help students navigate that journey through mentorship and community.
Through AUI’s long-standing partnership with Chile’s astronomical community, the program extends NRAO’s commitment to STEM education beyond research, connecting young people with mentors across all STEM disciplines.
PROVOCA offers a free, year-long online mentoring program for students ages 14 and older. At the end of the program students & mentors are also given the option to attend an in-person meeting and celebration in Santiago (pictured above) – and the travel expenses are covered by the program. Rather than focusing on academics, PROVOCA helps students explore career options, build their confidence in STEM, and develop plans for their future.
“STEM professionals produce a lot more than just good scientific data; PROVOCA mentoring gives them a voice and a tool to make STEM a better place for everyone,” says Paulina Bocaz, representative of AUI/NRAO in Chile and leader of the PROVOCA initiative. “Students benefit by clarifying their vocational choices and acquiring skills to chart their own paths in these disciplines.”
This is because success in STEM requires more than technical expertise: Communication, collaboration, and the ability to explain complex ideas are increasingly essential for securing jobs, presenting research, obtaining funding, and working effectively with emerging technologies.
PROVOCA complements technical education by helping mentors and students strengthen these professional skills while building a network that supports continued learning and career development. Mentors represent a wide range of STEM disciplines and career stages—from university students to retired professionals—creating a diverse network of role models.
Because Chile stretches more than 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) from north to south, access to educational opportunities can vary widely. PROVOCA was designed as a fully online program, allowing students from every region of the country to participate regardless of where they live. But, as previously mentioned, the students and mentors have the opportunity to meet in person for training (in the case of the mentors,) a diploma ceremony, and to simply enjoy the experience of meeting their mentors and fellow student cohort in person.
Since its start, PROVOCA has expanded steadily. Originally launched in 2019 as a communications campaign promoting women’s participation in STEM, PROVOCA’s name is both an acronym and a play on words in Spanish: PROmoting+VOCAtions while also seeking to provoke cultural change.
After beginning as a communications campaign, the initiative launched its formal mentor training program in 2021. Student mentoring followed in 2022, initially focusing on women in STEM. In 2023, the program expanded to include sign language interpretation and participants from the Deaf community, and since 2025 it has welcomed students of all genders.
Today, 313 people have participated in PROVOCA, including 97 certified mentors. Each mentor cohort is intentionally kept to about 20 participants to ensure a diverse mix of STEM disciplines and personalized training. In return for the free training, mentors volunteer to support future participants.
PROVOCA’s impact has been recognized both in Chile and internationally. In 2021, its outreach campaign received a Public Choice Award in the National Science Foundation’s STEM for All Video Showcase. The Government of Chile also selected PROVOCA as one of only three educational initiatives to represent the country in nominations for a UNESCO education prize in both 2024 and 2026. Most recently, the program received the STEM Universe 2026 recognition from the European Southern Observatory (ESO), UN Women, and the Embassy of Finland in Chile for advancing opportunities for girls and women in STEM.
As PROVOCA continues to grow, its mission remains the same: helping students discover their potential, develop essential professional skills, and find a supportive community that empowers them to pursue fulfilling STEM careers.
About AUI
Associated Universities, Inc. (AUl) is a non-profit organization that collaborates with the scientific community to plan, build and operate cutting-edge facilities, including Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCS).
About ALMA & NRAO
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) of Taiwan and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).
ALMA operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.
NRAO is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.