The 2026 Open Door Program will be held on March 27, 2026 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. 

Organized by Chester Lowe, Joseph Roberts, and Mackenzie Hagan

The ORS Open Door Program is a day-long outreach initiative held in conjunction with the ORS Annual Meeting. It is designed to introduce middle-school students, particularly those from first-generation and underrepresented minority backgrounds, to the field of musculoskeletal research. The program features career talks, a panel discussion, and hands-on demonstrations that showcase the diversity and impact of careers in musculoskeletal research.

2026 Educational Partner to be Determined. 

Volunteer Opportunities

The ORS Open Door Program is made possible by the dedication of our volunteer members. Whether you’re interested in mentoring students through a career talk, leading hands-on activities, or sharing your personal journey into musculoskeletal research, there’s a role for you.

All volunteers are expected to arrive at the ORS Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC early on March 26, 2026, to be prepared to begin the event bright and early on March 27, 2026.

The program is organized by the Open Door Task Force, made up of 2–3 volunteers from each of the following ORS committees: the Public Outreach Committee, Scientific Communications Committee, Social Media Committee, and Accessibility and Belonging Committee. This group helps the Organizer(s) plan the event and provide on-site support to ensure a meaningful experience for students and volunteers.

ORS offers 10 travel grants of $300 each to early career volunteers who actively participate in Open Door 2026. ECOTA recipients will assist in event activities. Submissions now closed. 

Congrats to our 2026 Recipients!

Bethany Andoko, University of California, San Francisco
Victoria Duke, Oregon Health & Science University
Tyler Kelly, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ella Kim, Harvard University
Gabrielle Lorenz, University of Pittsburgh
Brenna Pugliese, North Carolina State University
Annie Porter, University of Delaware
Kimberly Seaman, University of Toronto
Kathryn Strand, University of Pennsylvania
Devin Wong, University of Iowa

Learn More about this Award

A general call for Open Door volunteers will be announced in Fall 2025. If you’re passionate about outreach and want to inspire the next generation of musculoskeletal researchers, stay tuned!

History of the ORS Open Door Program

The Open Door Program was established by ORS in 2018 as a day long program held in conjunction with the ORS Annual Meeting. It is led by the ORS Advocacy Council, consisting of volunteers identified from the Social Media, Scientific Communications, and Public Outreach committees, with the help of the Accessibly and Belonging Committee. In collaboration with a local science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) outreach and educational organization, Open Door engages students and teachers in short career talks from different disciplines (e.g., engineers, biologists, and physicians), a discussion panel featuring ORS members from historically underserved backgrounds in STEM, and a series of hands-on workshops and demonstrations.

To address gender, racial, and ethnic disparities regarding representation within the field of orthopaedics, the Open Door Program in 2023 and 2024 ORS have intentionally structured programming to engage middle- and high-school students (i.e., Grades 6-12) from first-generation and underrepresented minorities (URM) backgrounds. The majority of attendees identified as Hispanic or LatinX, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. In 2023, the ORS also launched the Early Career Outreach Travel Award (ECOTA) to recruit a similarly diverse cohort of Open Door trainee volunteers and ensure equitable access to participation, allowing student participants to meet and connect with scientists whose identity and lived experiences closely align with their own.

  1. Make musculoskeletal research more accessible to the general public/non-scientific audiences
  2. Foster excitement about science and the possibility of pursuing careers in STEM fields
  3. Introducing orthopaedics to middle school students from underrepresented communities as a career choice to consider
  4. Increase the population on scientists, clinicians, and researcher in the field of orthopaedics

2023 Program: 160 students (Grades 6-12). Partnered with Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern (STARS).

2024 Program: 70 students (Grades 6-8). Partnered with California State University (CSU) Long Beach STEM outreach program in collaboration with the Mathematics, Engineering, Science, and Achievement (MESA) organization.

2025 Program: 130 students (Grades 7-8). Partnered with Arizona Association for Middle Level Education (AzAMLE) and Rogers Ranch STEM Academy at the University of Arizona.

The pre and post program survey data revealed that the Open Door program dramatically improved the students’ attitudes towards STEM and musculoskeletal research for nearly all diverse-related, broader societal importance, and career-related questions.

VIEW FULL OPEN DOOR ABSTRACT HERE

Overview of the ORS

The Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. ORS is the only international research society focused on orthopaedics and musculoskeletal care. For almost 70 years, the Society’s basic, translational, and scientific research has been used to treat patients with musculoskeletal disorders to ultimately enhance their quality and equity of care.

The ORS has 3,200 members worldwide, including engineers, biologists, clinicians, and students. Its mission is to accelerate musculoskeletal discovery to improve health, achieving a world without musculoskeletal limitations through research, education, community, and advocacy. Society’s core values include – Excellence and Integrity; Accessibility and Belonging; Innovation and Impact; Respect and Accountability; Connection and Collaboration; and Education and Career Development.

ORS Accessibility and Belonging Strategy

Accessibility and Belonging are part of core values of ORS, which include supporting our members, no matter where they live, and ensuring high-quality and equitable care for the patients and communities ORS members serve, no matter where that may be. Our choice to host a meeting in a specific location does not infer support for local laws, policies, or candidates, but instead affirms that we will carry and promote our values and our science wherever we gather

If you are interested in partnering or volunteering with us, please contact Nikita Halapeti at [email protected].