Strategies: GUTS y Girls

Guts y Girls是ITEST Strategy的一个为期三年的项目，目标是新墨西哥州圣达菲、拉斯克鲁塞斯和阿尔伯克基的中学女孩。该项目建立在之前资助的国家科学基金会青年科学家学院奖(06-39637)的基础上，并包括圣达菲研究所与麻省理工学院、新墨西哥大学、新墨西哥理工学院、新墨西哥州立大学、圣达菲综合体、新墨西哥州女童子军、超级计算挑战赛、地区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激动人心的网络学习体验来建设STEM和ICT员工队伍，为她们未来的职业生涯做好准备，使用社交网络工具创建和研究支持网络，并开发可复制的计划模式。项目交付内容包括每月星期六讲习班和为期两周的夏季强化讲习班。为期7小时的周六讲习班让女孩接触到各种各样的STEM/ICT工作和专业人员，同时让她们参与建立信心的创造性项目。在为期两周的夏季密集讲习班期间，女孩们通过动手活动和参与式模拟了解复杂的系统概念。参与者调查与当地相关的主题，通过复杂系统的镜头进行查看，然后应用基于代理的建模和网络分析工具。通过促进对复杂系统的理解，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为参与者在包括计算机科学、生态、工程和数学在内的广泛的STEM和ICT领域做好准备。Guts y Girls的次要战略是开发和研究女童支助系统，方法是创建一个虚拟会所，利用社交网络与STEM/ICT女从业人员和学生导师进行交流。所有项目活动都旨在支持新墨西哥州5-8年级的科学和数学标准。目标受众包括300名低收入西班牙裔和美国原住民青年。项目活动是亲身实践的，解决现实世界的问题，并吸引来自该领域的专业人员，所有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。计划采用一种混合方法的评价方法，评估人们对科技教育和信息技术领域的认识的变化；技术和思维技能；对复杂系统的了解和对计算机建模的使用；以及对科技教育和教育内容和职业的兴趣和态度。该项目深入了解学生参与网络支持的STEM学习体验是否会为未来在STEM中的努力培养能力，以及使用社交网络和STEM导师是否可以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.