PPD-DEI: Supporting Youth with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: The SIU SY-STEM Project

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This project will contribute to our nation's capacity for increasing the number ofpeople with disabilities employed in the science, technology, engineering, andmathematics (STEM) work force by demonstrating the effectiveness of an innovativecombination of person centered career planning activities, ongoing mentoring, and handson experiences in the sciences. This combination of activities is designed to 1.) increaserecognition of the interests and needs of students with disabilities in the STEM careerareas, 2.) create a more supportive academic and professional climate for persons withdisabilities, 3.) promote accessibility and appropriateness of instructional materials andeducational technologies at multiple levels (high school, community college, anduniversity), and 4.) increase the availability of academic enrichment experiences such asmentoring and hands-on experiences in the STEM areas.To meet these broad goals, the SIU SY-STEM project will:*Identify students' preferences and interests for specific STEM-related careerareas.*Increase receptivity of educators (secondary and post-secondary math and scienceeducators) and of guidance counselors for including of students with disabilitiesin STEM-related curriculum experiences.*Impact adaptations, accommodations, and instructional strategies used byeducators in STEM classes and labs at multiple levels.*Foster academic and professional development in STEM related career areas byincreased access to career exploration experiences and mentoring.A fundamental premise of this project is that the best way to impact employment ofpersons with disabilities in the sciences is by simultaneously increasing the numbers ofpeople in the pipeline leading to these careers and enhancing the capacity of secondaryand post-secondary training institutions to successfully include students with disabilities.Twenty-five teams of students, parents, educators, and guidance counselors from 25 highschools in southern Illinois will participate in intensive one-day workshops on personcentered career planning. From these 25 student teams, six students will be selected toparticipate in an intensive, on-campus Summer Institute at Southern Illinois University.This Institute will expose students to a variety of careers in the sciences and engage themin a series of rotations in various lab sciences. University students with disabilities will berecruited to work in close affiliation with a graduate student mentor and faculty mentorsto provide ongoing support for the workshop and Institute participants.The SIU SY-STEM project will impact involvement of persons with disabilities inSTEM areas of study at multiple levels, including the personal and professionaldevelopment of high school and college students with disabilities, and changes in theeducational resources, willingness, and capacity to support these students in high school,community college, and university programs. Although this project is designed as aregional demonstration involving high schools, consortia of community colleges, andSouthern Illinois University, it is the intention of the applicant to sustain this initiative bybuilding broader, more comprehensive regional/national networks and alliances. To thatend, the project includes a comprehensive evaluation component and widespreaddissemination plan.