Strategies: GUTS y Girls

GUTS y Girls是一项为期三年的ITEST战略项目，目标是圣达菲、拉斯克鲁塞斯和新墨西哥州阿尔伯克基的中学女生。该项目建立在先前资助的美国国家科学基金会青年科学家奖（06-39637）的基础上，包括圣达菲研究所和麻省理工学院、新墨西哥大学、新墨西哥理工大学、新墨西哥州立大学、圣达菲综合体、新墨西哥小径女童子军、超级计算挑战、区域教育组织和当地学校之间的合作伙伴关系。GUTS y Girls旨在通过让女孩参与令人兴奋的网络学习体验，为她们未来的职业生涯做好准备，创建和研究使用社交网络工具的支持网络，并开发可复制的项目模式，培养STEM和ICT劳动力。项目可交付成果包括每月周六工作坊和为期两周的夏季强化工作坊。周六7小时的讲习班让女孩们接触到各种各样的STEM/ICT工作和专业人士，同时让她们参与建立自信的创意项目。在为期两周的夏季强化讲习班中，女孩们通过动手活动和参与式模拟了解了复杂的系统概念。参与者调查当地相关的主题，通过复杂系统的视角来看待它们，然后应用基于代理的建模和网络分析工具。通过培养对复杂系统的理解，培养女孩的计算思维、计算机编程、计算建模、批判性思维和空间技能，GUTS y girls为参与者准备了广泛的STEM和ICT领域，包括计算机科学、生态学、工程学和数学。GUTS y Girls的第二个战略是开发和研究一个女生支持系统，通过创建一个虚拟俱乐部，利用社交网络与STEM/ICT女性从业者和学生导师进行交流。所有项目活动都是为了支持新墨西哥州5-8年级的科学和数学标准而设计的。目标受众包括300名低收入的西班牙裔和美洲原住民青年。项目活动是亲自动手的，解决现实世界的问题，并吸引来自该领域的专业人士，这些都是为年轻女性服务的成功的科学和数学项目的特点。计划采用混合方法评估方法，评估STEM和ICT领域意识的变化；技术和思维能力；理解复杂系统和使用计算机建模；以及对STEM内容和职业的兴趣和态度。该项目旨在深入了解学生参与网络STEM学习体验是否能培养他们未来在STEM领域的能力，以及使用社交网络和STEM导师是否能保持学生的兴趣和参与。

GUTS y Girls is a three-year ITEST Strategies project targeting middle school girls in Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. This project builds on a previously funded NSF Academies for Young Scientist award (06-39637) and includes partnerships between the Santa Fe Institute and MIT, University of New Mexico, New Mexico Tech, New Mexico State University, Santa Fe Complex, Girl Scouts of New Mexico Trails, the Supercomputing Challenge, regional educational organizations, and local schools. GUTS y Girls is designed to build the STEM and ICT workforce by engaging girls in exciting cyber-enabled learning experiences that prepare them for future careers, create and study a network of support using social networking tools, and develop a replicable program model. Project deliverables include Monthly Saturday Workshops and two-week Summer Intensive Workshops. The 7-hour Saturday workshops expose girls to a wide variety of STEM/ICT jobs and professionals while engaging them in creative projects that build their confidence. During the two-week Summer Intensive Workshop, girls gain an understanding of complex systems concepts through hands-on activities and participatory simulations. Participants investigate topics of local relevance, view them through the lens of complex systems, and then apply agent-based modeling and network analysis tools. By fostering an understanding of complex systems and developing girls' computational thinking, computer programming, computational modeling, critical thinking, and spatial skills, GUTS y Girls prepares participants for a wide range of STEM and ICT fields including computer science, ecology, engineering, and mathematics. GUTS y Girls' secondary strategy is to develop and study a support system for girls by creating a virtual clubhouse using social networking to communicate with female STEM/ICT practitioners and student mentors. All project activities are designed to support the New Mexico state standards in science and math for grades 5-8. The target audience includes 300 low-income Hispanic and Native American youth. Project activities are hands-on, address real-world problems, and engage professionals from the field, all characteristics found in successful science and math programs that serve young women. A mixed-methods evaluation approach is planned which assesses changes in awareness of STEM and ICT fields; technical and thinking skills; understanding of complex systems and uses of computer modeling; and interest and attitudes towards STEM content and careers. This project provides insight into whether student engagement in cyber-enabled STEM learning experiences builds capacity for future endeavors in STEM and if the use of social networks and STEM mentors can sustain student interest and involvement.