Cultivating Culturally Responsive STEM Pathways using a Near-Peer Role Model Intervention

Research shows the importance of children seeing themselves as capable of “doing STEM” and developing a positive STEM identity. Yet, children of color are less likely to have access to these informal STEM opportunities. Building on the successful “Science is Fun” (SIF) intervention, the project will revise this program for Hispanic students using a culturally-responsive approach. Facilitated by Hispanic, near-peer mentors, the revised, afterschool program will engage 4th grade students (from schools with predominantly Hispanic enrollment) with several sessions of science activities and their families in in family science explorations. The activities will focus on light and energy, using an approach combining demonstration and inquiry. (A phenomenon may be demonstrated, resulting in questions stimulated by a counterintuitive outcome. Participants then engage in hands-on exploration to explain the outcomes.) A co-design process involving teachers, role models, advisors and students will be conducted, incorporating language and cultural themes in program activities and facilitation. The iterative project research and evaluation aims to observe, assess, and revise the Science is Fun (SIF) program, helping to understand the program’s cultural responsiveness for historically marginalized Hispanic audiences. The major hypothesis of project research is that incorporating a cross-cultural curriculum will have positive impacts on participants’ 1) cultural awareness, 2) STEM interest, self-efficacy, and identity, and 3) perceptions of careers in STEM and who can be a scientist. Data will be collected from focus groups, surveys and observations from students, near-peer mentors, and families. This project will contribute to the research on culturally responsive STEM programs and will present important theoretical and practical implications. This Integrating Research and Practice project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences. 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.