Broadening Interest in Geosciences, Habitat, and Technology among Girls

2015 - 2019

This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by engaging high school Alaskan girls in studies of nearby natural environments. An out-of-school program consisting of a 10-day summer academy and six Saturday events during the school year will be implemented in both Juneau and Fairbanks. The program structure will be the same in both locations.

Read More

Building Enhanced Scientific Thinking through Modeling Ecosystems

2015 - 2019

An ongoing collaboration between the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). Specifically, this project will explore how a modeling-based curricular approach advances 4th and 5th grade students' understanding of science as a way of knowing.

Read More

From Data To Awesome (D2A): Youth Learning to be Data Scientists

2015 - 2018

Increasingly, the STEM workforce requires knowledge of data science and data analysis including representations of data for public use such as in media outlets. The project will be a partnership between a non-profit organization and a university in order to engage youth in data science projects as they produce interactive media for local and national audiences. The technology platform, Local Ground, allows youth to collect, map and visualize data.

Read More

Creating a Virtual Infrastructure for Engaging Rural Youth in STEM Disciplines through Computer Science

2016 - 2019

This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by developing and studying an educational intervention for rural youth to engage with computer science and math concepts through a popular videogame.

Read More

Zipping Towards STEM: Integrating Engineering Design into the Middle School Physical Science Curriculum

2015 - 2019

This project will advance efforts to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics through the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers program. It will integrate engineering design principles into Akron Public School district's curriculum unit on force and motion for 1800 underrepresented eighth grade students across 12 schools and 98 classrooms.

Read More

ET-ECS: Electronic Textiles for Exploring Computer Science with High School Students and Teachers to Promote Computational Thinking and Participation for All

2015 - 2019

This project advances efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM by producing empirical findings and/or research tools that contribute to knowledge about which models and interventions with K-12 students and teachers are most likely to increase capacity in the STEM and STEM cognate intensive workforce of the future.

Read More

Soft Robotics to Broaden the STEM Pipeline

2015 - 2019

This project aims to increase female interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers through the emerging field of soft robotics. Soft robotics diverge from other robotics in that they leverage materials science (understanding how materials stretch and deform), chemistry (polymer synthesis), and biology (bio-inspired design) to provide aids for human needs.

Read More

LinCT: Linking Educators, Youth, and Learners in Computational Thinking

2015 - 2019

This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' motivations and capacities to pursue careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) by producing empirical findings and/or research tools that contribute to knowledge about which models and interventions with K-12 students and teachers are most likely to increase capacity in the STEM and STEM cognate intensive workforce of the future.

Read More