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

ITEST National STEMLearning Resource Center at EDC

http://itestlrc.edc.org/

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

Jacob MartinezEmail: jacobm@etr.orgPhone: 831-440-2246

http://www.etr.org/youthandit

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.