ITEST Projects

This project addresses access to STEM educational experiences for rural students. Students from rural areas and small towns make up about 30% of the U.S. secondary school population but often lack inspirational STEM educational opportunities and experiences. This makes them less likely to pursue

High school students in rural underserved populations often lack STEM role models, have deficiencies in career readiness, and have limited access to advanced technologies. Although students may be interested in STEM careers, they often lack place-based STEM learning experiences and advanced

This Developing and Testing Innovations project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM

This project seeks to address several challenges simultaneously: there is a need to improve the diversity of learners and workers in environmentally-focused STEAM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) careers and educational programs, a need to broaden participation in

The National Quantum Initiative Act stipulates the growth and acceleration of quantum information science and technology research and education. However, high school science teachers may not have a background in quantum physics, and this creates a challenge for them to keep track of academic and

Attractive high-paying and highly flexible Computer Science careers should be more readily accessible for people with blindness or visual impairments (BVI). Unfortunately, teaching the required computer programming and data science skills to students with BVI is extremely challenging due to two

Cities and states, clean energy businesses, labor organizations and engaged citizens are increasingly addressing climate change by exploring how to transition to renewable energy. Those who do the least to cause climate change are often the most vulnerable to its impacts, so it is important to

This project will broaden participation in STEM for blind and visually impaired (BVI) and sighted upper elementary students through engagement with podcast technology. BVI individuals are significantly underrepresented in the STEM workforce. Research has shown that BVI students face many obstacles

The project will develop and research a model for engaging high-school-aged African American women from low-income families in STEM-related making and entrepreneurship educational programs. Making is a culture that emphasizes interest-driven learning by doing within an informal, peer-led, and creative social environment.