Post on 04-Apr-2018
Research and Strategies for Engaging African American and Latino Families in Informal STEM Education
New: ITEST Data Brief Volume 1, Issue 2 ‐ April 2012 ‐ Click the picture to view this publica on. →Coming soon! Click the title to view a description.• ITEST Participants:
Reaching Underserved and Underrepresented Groups
• ITEST Engineering Model: Building a Better Future for STEM Learning
View the ITEST Program SnapshotClick the picture to view this publica on. →
View a video about the programClick the picture to view this video. →
Join us on:
New and Upcoming Resources
Click the Linkedin icon to continue a discussion on this webinar.
Research and
Strategies for
Engaging African
American and Latino Families
in Informal
STEM Education
Hosted by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) National STEM
Learning Resource Center at EDCJune 6, 2012
ITEST Portfolio
• Funded by the National Science Foundation, the ITEST experience—including 195 projects across 43 states—helps young people and teachers build the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a science-technologically-driven world
• Starting in 2003, the ITEST program impacts more than:– 227,500 K–12 students– 8,000 educators– 3,000 parents and caregivers
ITEST Portfolio
Bioscience includes bioinformatics, biotechnology, DNA analysis/sequencing, and biomedicine
Computer Science –Gaming & Simulationsuse and creation of gaming and simulations in formal & informal education
Engineeringincludes
aerospace, astronomy,
design, robotics and
nanotechnology
Environmental Science includesGIS/GPS, remote sensing technology, climate modeling, and ecological research and analysis
Computer Science - Programming and other includes: programming; web development; multimedia –audio, video and animation; computer hardware; general skills
Latino Family Engagement in Informal STEM Education
Jacob Martinez, Project Director, ETR Associates
Bringing together youth programs, schools, parents and community to build a network of programs and support for youth to pursue interests and careers in technology
• Grades 5-12• Latino/a youth in semi-rural setting• Watsonville, CA• 800 youth over 3 years• 400 highly involved• 50 highly involved parents
9
Watsonville TEC’s Parent Engagement and Leadership Model
• Parent Workshop Series• Open Computer labs
• Community Leadership Committee
Goals of workshops:
• Foster a sense of identity in the mission of TEC• Increase parents’ interests and ability to
support their child on the path to college
Goals of workshops
• Build parents confidence while learning skills• Allow access to school’s online reporting system
• Access online English language learning tools
Goals of CLC
• Increase understanding of the importance of technology• Increase ownership of TEC
• Participate in the sustainability of TEC
1. Identify appropriate and meaningful opportunities
2. Use a multigenerational approach
3. Expose parents to other parent leaders from their community
4. Build from the bottom up
1. Parent Buy-in 2. Parent Knowledge3. Parent Identity
Developed in collaboration with SRI InternationalOutside Evaluators:
Ken RafananLiliana RucttingerDenise Sauerteig
Survey indicated parents had high levels of buy-in, moderate levels of knowledge, and
low levels of identification with TEC
Interviews mirrored survey’s
Parents indicated an interest to be more involved but described real obstacles.
•Limited parent availability/work conflicts
•High demand for parent time from schools and community
•Limited English literacy
Challenges for measuring engagement•Lack of resources
•Evaluations need to be flexible
For resources on exemplary practices for engaging Latinos visit the Computer
Science Collaboration Project
http://www.cscproject.org/
Watsonville TEC Staff:Sylvia ReyesJill DennerEloy OrtizSteve Bean
Funded by the National Science Foundation:0929676
InnovaTE3Girls Innovating with Technology as Entrepreneurial Environmental Engineers
This work is supported by NSF Grant No. 0833692
Engaging Latino and African American Families in Informal STEM Education: Perspectives from Research and Practice
Patrik Lundh, Melissa Koch, Christopher Harris, Reina Fuji & Bowyee Gong
Today’s Talk
• Introduction to InnovaTE3
• Parent involvement strategies
• Research ‐ Ongoing case study work
• Lessons Learned
InnovaTE3Girls Innovating with Technology as Entrepreneurial Environmental Engineers
What is InnovaTE3?
• Afterschool and Summer STEM Curriculum
• Urban, primarily African American & Latina Girls
• Collaboration with Girls Inc. of Alameda County
Curriculum Goals• Girls value and persist in STEM learning
• Girls see pathways for themselves to STEM careers
• Girls understand concepts in Earth system science, particularly the ways that humans affect Earth systems
• Girls become fluent in innovation and engineering practices
Curriculum Key Features• 6 curricular modules (afterschool & summer)• Community‐focused ecologically sustainable
innovation projects• Integrating home environment and family
practices• Parent involvement• Learning of Earth systems science, design,
and innovation practices• Internships & projects with STEM
professionals• Career and college planning
Participants• Girls in grades 8‐11 • Majority from low SES households• Only 10% of parents or guardians have college degrees• 45 girls enroll each year (135 to date)
Parent InvolvementHome energy and resource usage activities• Girls bring home knowledge, skills, and artifacts to
implement sustainable practices with their families• Girls bring their own interests and community connections
to the program
Innovation celebrations• Parents attend family nights where girls pitch their
innovative designs to a panel of STEM professionals• Parents have followed innovation projects with girls and
have high interest in their work
Integrative context• Situated within larger effort to integrate family, school and
community achieved through the Girls Inc. organization.
Research on Families
Goal of case study research is to explore:
•Girls’ support networks, including parents and InnovaTE3
•Role of families and parents in girls’ persistence, interest, and identity in STEM learning and career planning
•Connections between families and the InnovaTE3 curriculum
•Modifications to InnovaTE3 to strengthen its role
Case Study Design
6 case study girls, selected based on:•high or low math/science interest•high or low math/science achievement
Data Collection•4 interviews with each girl•2 interviews with each girl’s parents•1 interview each with girls’ favorite STEM teacher, Girls Inc. staff, and internship mentor•Total of 54 interviews across cases
Case Study Preliminary Findings
Girls’ support network•Parents are girls’ key support for girls•Parents play important roles in activities that girls have sustained interest and persistence in over long periods of time•Girls Inc. key support for girls
Parents’ and families’ roles in supporting STEM interest and persistence•Girls have limited STEM support and role models•Girls’ STEM interest/persistence associated with school experiences
Connections between families and the InnovaTE3 curriculum•Parents are strongly motivated to participate and provide support•Girls’ sustainability practices and innovation designs connected families & program
Lessons LearnedParent participation vs. connecting program to home•Parents vs. girls as boundary‐crossers
The different ways that parents become involved•Attending, learning, being interested, supporting
What is effective parental involvement•What roles can they play?
Tensions between parental involvement and girls’ independence•Girls Inc. encourages girls to do things on their own
Thank You
To request an e‐copy of paper presented at AERA: patrik.lundh@sri.com
ORmelissa.koch@sri.com
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders.
Research and Strategies for Engaging African American and Latino Families in Informal STEM Education
New: ITEST Data Brief Volume 1, Issue 2 ‐ April 2012 ‐ Click the picture to view this publica on. →Coming soon! Click the title to view a description.• ITEST Participants:
Reaching Underserved and Underrepresented Groups
• ITEST Engineering Model: Building a Better Future for STEM Learning
View the ITEST Program SnapshotClick the picture to view this publica on. →
View a video about the programClick the picture to view this video. →
Join us on:
New and Upcoming Resources
Click the Linkedin icon to continue a discussion on this webinar.