Resources

Prior to the 2012 London Olympics, city planners added extensive wildflower meadows and something interesting happened: The number of pollinating insects and other local species (e.g., the biodiversity of the area) increased dramatically (Conniff, 2014). In response to statistics indicating that the portion of our planet characterized as urban is on track to triple from 2000-2030, scientists and community members in the United Kingdom and some American cities are taking action to study (e.g., Lerman, Nislow, Nowak, DeStefano, Kind, Jones-Farrand, 2014) and introduce often simple strategies for

The imperative that all students, including English learners (ELs), achieve high academic standards and have opportunities to participate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning has become even more urgent and complex given shifts in science and mathematics standards. As a group, these students are underrepresented in STEM fields in college and in the workforce at a time when the demand for workers and professionals in STEM fields is unmet and increasing. However, English learners bring a wealth of resources to STEM learning, including knowledge and interest in

There is a growing concern in the US about the lack of student interest and aptitude in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. Research indicates that engineering and technology integration in K-12 improve students’ content understanding and skill development, understanding of interactions among the STEM disciplines, and interest in STEM careers. Many in-service STEM teachers have limited experience and/or educational background in engineering and technology. These teachers have limited confidence to incorporate engineering and technology in their classroom.At a

There is growing concern in the United States about the lack of interest and aptitude in science, math and, in particular, technology and engineering disciplines. Certainly one reason for this could be the lack of true engineering experiences available to students when they are in junior high and high school. This is in part due to the fact that while most teachers are well versed in math and science through their formal education, very few have experience and/or educational backgrounds in engineering and technology. To promote STEM careers, a partnership among university engineering faculty

As part of a NSF-funded ITEST grant, the ETID Department at Texas A&M University is developing a STEM Teacher Education initiative that helps secondary education math and science teachers to better understand advanced technology concepts. This new initiative will be presented to approximately twelve teachers for three consecutive summers to create a cadre of educators who are able to excite high school students and motivate them to choose engineering/technology career paths as they enter their undergraduate degree programs. This paper presents an overview of and results from the two-week

The drive for broader participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has resulted in a growing interest in out-of-school programs that bring enriching educational experiences to children from ethnic and racial groups that are traditionally underrepresented, particularly children from low-income households. Ideally, such programs would have clear strategies for recruiting students from low-income communities, thereby minimizing barriers to participation, such as transportation and cost. Although many local organizations are clear in their purpose, strategies that

Careers in the U.S. that require STEM knowledge have grown rapidly, reinforcing the need to develop a futureworkforce that is prepared to meet growing business needs and solve global challenges. Considering that there is a low number ofstudents pursuing STEM degrees and the low percentages of minority students in the STEM pipeline, STEM education hasbeen a focus of local and national education curriculum reform efforts. Extending beyond the classroom, university, industry,and other stakeholders have partnered to develop the future workforce by focusing on STEM K-12 outreach programming.We

With the rapid growth of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs in the United States, stakeholders are investing more resources to expand participation in these fields in terms of overall numbers as well as representation across demographics. Although there has been a steady stream of federal and corporate investments in STEM programs, reaching and engaging youth from underrepresented communities remains a challenge. Attempting to disrupt this trend, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is leveraging over ten years of experience to further develop and expand

Concern over the underrepresentation of women and certain minority populations in engineering has been a concern for the last few decades. Government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private companies have invested significant money and resources to address this concern (Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), 2017; Gibbin & Davis, 2002); however, the numbers of women and underrepresented minorities participating in engineering remains dismal (National Science Foundation & National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2017). Much of this money has

The purpose of this research study is to examine the motivations of undergraduate students, graduate students, and teaching professionals to serve as mentors for elementary school-aged kids participating in the Summer Engineering Experiences for Kids (SEEK) program hosted by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews (n=25), which we analyzed using a two-pronged approach: 1) through attribute coding, we identified demographic information, and 2) through value coding, we identified the participant motivations for mentoring