Project Profile

The project will engage LatinX middle and high school youth in developing technology-rich, interactive digital media, games, and narratives about climate science. In creating digital stories, youth will blend real-world scenarios with their ideas and decision-making processes to solve climate-related problems. This immersive experience will help the underserved population of LatinX youth build robust knowledge of climate science and support their identities to serve as community science experts. While creating digital narratives and preparing for community events, the youth will interact with STEM role models in climate science and information communication technologies. Such interaction can support their exploration of STEM pathways and develop a deeper interest in STEM careers.

This project is designed as a participatory research-practice project (RPP) which centers equity in its design and implementation. This will be done by 1) investigating questions of common interest to researchers, practitioners, and learners; 2) activating the talents of all groups to co-create and test innovative learning experiences; and 3) drawing on the experience and strengths of all groups to generate knowledge, share findings, and determine next steps. By using the methods of surveys, personal meaning maps, and focus groups with participating youth, the research will focus on investigating outcomes related to increasing environmental science knowledge and improving STEM career aspirations among Latinx teens. The study will utilize both quantitative (Wilcoxon signed-rank tests) and qualitative analysis (a priori and inductive coding). This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.