Journal of STEM outreach最新文献

The Maryland Action for Drug Discovery and Pharmaceutical Research (MADDPR) Program provides hands-on lab experience and mentoring to underserved minority high school students. With the inability to conduct an in-person STEM summer camp, the program transitioned to a virtual format in 2020. Thirty-three students and their PLTW teacher participated in live sessions using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra®. One highlight of the sessions was program faculty's use of interactive simulation software such as science labs (Labster®), animal behavior (Sniffy the Virtual Rat®), and aseptic compounding (Virtual Interactive Clean Room®). Graduate student mentors worked with students in small virtual breakout sessions. Post-session survey data show that the majority of students felt comfortable participating in the simulation sessions. Students' responses indicated that they enjoyed the virtual labs and appreciated the effort to implement the game-like lab simulation exercises. Remarkably, student ratings of the virtual sessions compared favorably and, in some cases, exceeded those from the same sessions conducted in-person in 2019. In post-camp surveys, 96% of the participants indicated an interest in pursuing careers in pharmacy/other health professions. Student and teacher comments also indicated that the virtual experience of the camp prepared both students and their teacher for the coming fall semester at school.

The Covid-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for informal health science education, which traditionally involves face-to-face programming. We describe the adaptation of hands-on environmental health science kits for online and socially distanced informal education with diverse audiences. These hands-on science kits were traditionally used for in-person, whole group instruction. Because the kits include all the materials needed to complete the activities, they provide hands-on science experiences without the need for a science lab facility. We developed a logistics plan for online use of the kits, taking into account the use of technology, kit distribution, virtual instruction, and audience engagement. We also developed Covid-safe practices for in-person instruction that supported social distancing while engaging learners in hands-on science. The strategic adaptation and creative implementation of these kits allowed us to engage our community's youth in environmental health learning during the isolated and uncertain times of the pandemic. Lessons learned from this experience may inform future efforts to provide remote, interactive informal science education to respond to diverse learners' needs.

Secondary schools in Maine and New Hampshire have been involved in a citizen science program called "All About Arsenic" aimed at addressing arsenic contamination of well water, one of the most pressing public health issues in both states. Nearly half of the population of Maine and New Hampshire derive their drinking water from private wells which often have arsenic levels above the EPA limit of 10 ppb. Arsenic exposure can cause cancer, adverse cardiovascular effects, and other health problems. Addressing this issue in schools provides context and motivation for students to engage in scientific inquiry and acquire data literacy skills. This project involves students collecting well water samples for arsenic analysis, entering their data into an online citizen science data portal, Anecdata, and using Tuva online software tools to visualize and interpret their data. Students present their data at public meetings to inform community members of their findings with the goal of moving "data to action". The COVID-19 pandemic presented multiple challenges for teachers engaging their students in this citizen science project. We adapted our program and implemented a series of interventions aimed at supporting teachers in their continued efforts to engage their students the "All About Arsenic" project.

The STEM Through Authentic Research and Training (START) Program is a new program integrating academic, social, and professional experiences, in the theme of exomedicine, to build a pipeline into college for first generation and traditionally underrepresented students by providing year-round authentic opportunities and professional development for high school students and teachers. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the START Program has worked with the local Fayette County public school and community partners to provide content to over 300 students through: virtual laboratory tours with community partner Space Tango, "meet a scientist" discussions, and online near-peer student demonstrations aimed at making the practice of STEM disciplines approachable. Furthermore, the START Program has partnered with Higher Orbits to provide at-home, space-themed learning kits for students to develop teamwork, communication, and STEM principles while engaging in online content with teachers, professionals, and astronauts. Finally, the START Program has moved its training platforms online, including receiving College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) Peer Educator accreditation for our near-peer mentoring and coaching training. As a result, the START Program is better positioned to address this critical need in STEM education, while reaching more students in the community than possible with face-to-face interactions alone.

STEM training of college-bound and college students has reliably employed hands-on experiential learning by placing students in on-campus research settings. Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center's Young Empowered Scientists for ContinUed Research Engagement (DF/HCC's YES for CURE) program introduces Massachusetts high school and college students from underrepresented populations to cancer research by immersing them in scientific and nursing research environments. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 summer program was re-designed and delivered virtually for 45 students. Because the program spans three years, we could evaluate the experiences of 18 students (cohort 2) who completed the 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2020 (pandemic) summer programs. Analysis of cohort 2 data revealed three areas where students felt their competence improved with virtual programming (i.e., effective communication of ideas, access to high caliber speakers, engagement with program leaders) and two areas where it declined significantly (i.e., engaging other students, learning lab material). Additionally, student-reported competence to perform 21 scientific research and seven critical thinking processes were not negatively impacted by the virtual transition. Herein, we describe the adaptation of DF/HCC's YES for CURE program to a virtual format and the impact on students as a resource for institutions interested in enhancing their STEM training programs with virtual programming.

This paper examines the perspectives of Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA) participants as they navigate through their West Virginia (WV) high school learning environments (i.e., in-person, blended/hybrid, complete virtual) during the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. In March of 2020, the participants in this out-of-school-time (OST) academic enrichment program for exceptionally driven, yet underprivileged, at-risk students, with over 70% living in rural areas, started receiving remote learning instruction through learning management systems or via paper packets. In August of 2020, school systems provided parents and caregivers alternative learning environments for their student(s). In order to understand the learning experiences of HSTA students during these unprecedented times, HSTA released the 2020 Learning Outcomes Survey to participants in December of 2020. We performed chi-square test of independence to test the relationship between participants' learning environments, their satisfaction with the education they were receiving, their ability to keep up with their school-work, teacher availability to help when needed and teacher feedback supporting them in their learning environment. The results show significant differences between the learning environments and keeping up with school-work as well as teacher feedback supporting them in their learning; however, Phi and Cramer's V tests for effect size show weak correlations. This study provides a small glimpse into HSTA students' learning experiences as they attempted to continue to learn in their regular school environment during the COVID-19 pandemic while in HSTA.

The Appalachian Career Training In ONcology or ACTION Program is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Youth Enjoy Science (YES) research education grant program that recruits and trains early-career undergraduate and high school students from underrepresented, socioeconomically distressed areas of Appalachian Kentucky in cancer research and outreach. The two-year program is a multifaceted experience that includes participation in cross-disciplinary, mentored cancer research projects. In addition to research projects, participants also shadow faculty mentors in clinical medical settings, engage in multiple types of educational activities, and participate in cancer-focused outreach projects within their communities. Participants also engage in peer-to-peer networking and receive career mentorship, training, and coaching. Highlights of program activities include a student-led photovoice project to promote cancer awareness and participant publications including a book featuring participant essays focused on their experiences and thoughts on cancer. Initial impact data show high school participants have a higher than state and county average four-year college-going rate and all undergraduate participants are gaining positive outcomes related to educational and career attainment. This article provides an overview of the significant benefits of the ACTION Program, the program's activities, and highlights from program implementation. Potential impacts of the program and barriers to implementation are also shared.

The objective of our program is to foster and facilitate authentic research experiences in middle and high school classrooms. We achieve this directly by providing students with a complete experience in scientific experimentation and communication. The centerpiece is a set of experiment modules which students use to investigate the effects of toxic chemicals on living organisms through the use of model organisms such as the earthworm, fathead minnow, and the zebrafish, and chemical contaminants commonly found in the environment. In parallel, we partner with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee science teacher certification program to prepare pre-service teachers to offer real research experiences in their future classrooms. With the COVID virus restricting or eliminating in-person learning, the program's challenge was (i) to create new ways to conduct experiments virtually that retain elements of the authentic research experience and (ii) to move all of the accompanying facets of the program to online formats. This paper will describe the new online materials and activities that were introduced this past year as well as the challenges they presented and the opportunities that they offer for the future.

Informal science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs are important tools for broadening participation in STEM careers. The St. Jude STEM Club (SJSC) is a 10-week afterschool STEM club focused on real-world problems in pediatric cancer research and designed for students in the fifth grade. The SJSC is conducted in partnership with the Shelby County Schools (SCS), an urban school district that encompasses Memphis, TN and serves a disproportionate number of students from underrepresented backgrounds in science. In this report, we provide details on the club logistics, curriculum, pilot data and outcomes related to club impact on student attitudes towards science, and challenges and limitations of the program. Participants in the program reported significantly higher rates of STEM engagement, STEM identity, critical thinking, perseverance, and relationships with peers and adults compared to national normative data. This program description is intended to serve as a resource for other institutions wanting to use a similar strategy to broaden participation in STEM careers.