LULAC’S 84TH NATIONAL CONVENTION AND EXPOSITION STEM EDUCATION: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
SUCCESS
LPFI Mission
To eliminate barriers faced by underrepresented students of color in STEM and foster their untapped talent for the advance of our nation.
We do this through: STEM Education Programming: SMASH & SMASH
Prep Research and Evaluation
Latino Underrepresentation in STEM and Importance of STEM
Education In the U.S, there will be a demand for 2.4 Million
STEM jobs by 2018. Latinos represent just 6% of the entire U.S. science
and engineering workforce. Only 2% of Latinos have earned a Bachelor’s
degree in science or engineering. Between 2000 and 2010 the U.S. Latino population
increased by 43%.
Sources: Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce STEM State Level Analysis; National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations of U.S. Department of Education Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Completions Survey, 2010; U.S. Census 2010
Barriers Facing Latino Students in STEM Education
Latino underrepresentation in STEM can be linked to inequity in K-12 STEM education: Teacher quality Access to rigorous STEM coursework Access to labs, textbooks, resources Lack of STEM role models Lack of exposure to STEM careers and
opportunities At the undergraduate level:
Few connections to STEM peers of color and faculty of color
Lack of STEM role models
Summer Math and Science Honors Academy
5-week, 3-year STEM-focused summer residential program
For high-achieving underrepresented high school students of color.
Currently held on 4 college campuses in California (UC Berkeley, Stanford, USC, UCLA).
Prepares students academically through rigorous math, science, and STEM elective courses.
Provides college success classes to support students in applying for college, financial aid, and scholarships.
Counteracts barriers by exposure to diverse STEM role models and building diverse peer support networks in STEM.
SMASH Student Demographic Data
Currently serving ~500 students.51% Female, 49% Male
54% Latino 24% African-American15% Southeast Asian7% Multiple Response/Other
76% of current SMASH students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
78% of current SMASH students are 1st generation to go to college.
Evidence of Effectiveness
Academic year data indicate: 79% of SMASH students enroll in advanced math
and science courses at their schools during their senior year.
Alumni data indicate: 91% of graduates are enrolled in 4-year
universities (another 9% are enrolled in 2-year colleges).
67% of alumni declared STEM majors. By comparison, only 23% of all college freshmen declare STEM majors.
Source: U.S. Department of Education ,Education Dashboard: Percent Of Bachelor’s Degrees Conferred In STEM Fields, 2009
LPFI believes in linking direct service programs and research in order to: Understand the effectiveness of interventions Inform the continual improvement of STEM programming Expand the existing body of knowledge on improving
outcomes for underrepresented students in STEM Recent findings:
Students of color perceive both internal and external barriers to pursuing STEM in higher education, and girls of color perceive barriers to STEM at a much higher level than their male counterparts.
After a five-week summer introductory computer science course, high school students of color demonstrated a significant increase in computer science skills and computer science college and career aspirations.
Summary of Research
“My technology class had the biggest impact on me and I have learned that I have an interest in computer science.” -3rd year SMASH Berkeley student
“The greatest impact SMASH has had on me was my self-confidence in math. At school, I do not like to challenge myself and SMASH presented me with challenges and forced me to rise above.” -3rd year SMASH Stanford student
THANK YOU
Bianca Escalante, Development [email protected]
Jarvis Sulcer, Executive [email protected]
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