Summit STEM Fellowship Transforms Virtual Mentorship with SpatialChat
The Summit STEM Fellowship used SpatialChat to transform its mentorship sessions, creating dynamic virtual gatherings where students could connect naturally with mentors worldwide. The platform enabled smoother conversations, creative interactions, and a more professional yet lively experience.
About the Summit STEM Fellowship
The Summit STEM Fellowship (SSF) is a global virtual summer program designed to bring together top high school STEM students from around the world. Fellows explore diverse opportunities and career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while learning directly from mentors at Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and other leading institutions. SSF has supported more than 1,000 students across 50+ countries worldwide.
Each summer, the program offers students a chance to connect with world-class mentors in meaningful ways, and the team behind SSF continually looks for tools that make these exchanges more engaging.
The Challenge: Creating Natural Networking in a Virtual Setting
As SSF expanded its reach, the team faced a recurring obstacle: how to replicate the natural networking and streamlined interactions of in-person gatherings in an online format. Standard video platforms proved limiting. They either felt too rigid and formal, or too isolating and static. This created barriers for students trying to engage with multiple mentors and made transitions between sessions clunky and unintuitive.
The Solution: Collaborative Office Hours with SpatialChat
SSF turned to SpatialChat to host its Office Hours, a core part of the fellowship where students connect with mentors in smaller groups or one-on-one.
The platform allowed participants to “hop” between rooms with ease, creating a more organic flow of conversation. Mentors could connect with several students in a meeting, and students enjoyed the freedom to explore different discussions without friction.
SpatialChat’s hands-on features also stood out. The drawing tool quickly became a favorite among fellows, some of whom used it to showcase their creativity during the summer’s sessions. These moments brought energy and personality to the experience, making it feel less like a standard video call and more like an immersive environment.
— Anne Lee, Program Director at Summit STEM Fellowship
The Results: Well-Organized and Rewarding Office Hours
The adoption of SpatialChat brought immediate benefits to the Office Hours. Both students and mentors responded positively, praising the smoother flow of conversation compared to traditional platforms.
Anne reflected on the impact:
“SpatialChat has made our virtual gatherings far more stimulating and dynamic, while still maintaining a professional atmosphere.The platform strikes a great balance, as events feel lively and interactive without losing structure or focus.”
The team also appreciated the responsive support from SpatialChat’s customer success team, which contributed to the seamless delivery of the fellowship program.
The Next Chapter in Effective Office Hours
SSF looks forward to continuing its Office Hours with SpatialChat, building on the success of this summer’s event. The platform made it easy for students to meet multiple mentors, join smaller group discussions, and explore a variety of topics, resulting in a more productive and enjoyable virtual experience.
The Summit STEM Fellowship successfully transformed its mentorship sessions with SpatialChat, turning static online meetings into lively, well-structured gatherings that foster authentic student–mentor connections across the globe.
Talk to our experts to discover how SpatialChat can help you create more engaging virtual events!