Communications of the ACM
Nsf Grant to Spur Public School Students' Interest in STEM
Credit: Wayne State University
Wayne State University recently received notice of a nearly $1.2 million award from the U.S. National Science Foundation that aims to impact minority students' interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related careers.
The project, "Promoting Student Interest in Science and Science Careers through a Scalable Place-based Environmental Educational Program at a Public Aquarium," will train 90 Detroit Public School teachers in biological STEM areas related to fisheries, wildlife, conservation, and aquatic sciences. More than 2,300 fifth grade students from the public schools will benefit over the course of three years by participating in field trips to the Belle Isle Aquarium and follow-up activities.
Interest in STEM-related fields by minority students has been low — particularly among African-American and Latino students — despite intense drives to encourage students to study science.
According to Jeffrey Ram, professor of physiology in Wayne State University's School of Medicine and principal investigator of the program, fifth grade is a critical age in which decisions for lifelong science-related career choices are formed.
"Our goal is to increase interest, knowledge, and activity choices of students in ways that promote science education and STEM career choices among minority youth," says Ram. "By providing them with learning opportunities at the Belle Isle Aquarium, we hope to spark more excitement in STEM areas they may not have considered, with interesting follow-on learning opportunities to aid in maintaining their interest and knowledge."
Workshops for teachers are intended to inspire them to achieve their fifth grade curricular goals through activities at a community-based institution. The program will measure teachers' confidence and teaching practices as they strive to achieve a lasting impact on their students. The program will also measure the impact of the field trips on students' attitudes towards STEM and STEM-related careers, along with their change in knowledge of science concepts and attitudes toward STEM and STEM-related careers.
"By involving students in science-related activities on Belle Isle and in their schools, we expect to significantly impact teaching practices and student learning in STEM-related fields. Overall, the project will create exciting communities of learning centered on the Belle Isle Aquarium that are intended to far outlast the lifetime of the grant," says Ram.
The award number for this NSF grant is 1614187.
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