STEM-Discovery

这项研究基础设施改进（RII） Track-3奖旨在吸引来自高中的教师和学生，这些高中的少数族裔（URM）学生的入学率很高，他们从事基于科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）的项目驱动经验。该项目旨在开发适应高中工程设计过程的课程材料，并通过让非裔美国学生和女学生参与竞争性实践活动，提高他们在STEM方面的成功。该项目的总体目标是提高路易斯安那州在STEM领域的能力和创新，并制定一个可在全国范围内广泛采用的可持续计划。STEM- discovery项目建立了大学与高中的合作伙伴关系，促进了工程设计过程中基于项目的STEM学习。该项目提供夏令营和团队竞赛，旨在激励高中生了解工程设计挑战的基本原理。该项目还让学生接触到关键的使能技术，帮助他们培养团队合作和沟通技巧。该项目的前提是竞争推动卓越，并为设计燃料电池汽车等现实应用提供联系。该项目还为高中教师提供讲习班，提供专业发展和交流机会。该计划的结构是测试一个小规模的试点，通过纳入参与者的反馈来完善该计划，并扩大到让更多的高中和大学参与STEM伙伴关系。更广泛的影响基于路易斯安那理工大学和高中之间已建立的联系，STEM-Discovery项目已经确定了12所具有高URM学生入学率的合作高中。在五年的项目中，来自这些高中的至少84名教师和252名学生将直接参与工作坊和设计竞赛。这些学校的教师专业发展和学生之间的互动有可能吸引不参与的学生，并激发他们对stem相关领域的高等教育和职业的兴趣。通过虚拟学习场所和国家专业会议的讲习班，向更多的听众广泛传播项目内容。通过沉浸在以内容为中心的营地和设计项目竞赛中，以项目为基础的学习，赋予未被充分代表的少数民族学生和高中教师权力的模式，在全国范围内具有潜在的可扩展性和适应性。

This Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Track-3 award seeks to engage teachers and students from high schools with high enrollment of underrepresented minority (URM) students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-based, project driven experiences. The project aims to develop curricular materials on the engineering design process for adaptation in high schools, and increase the STEM success of African-American and female students by engaging them in competitive hands-on activities. The overall goal of this project is to increase Louisiana's capacity and innovation in STEM fields and develop a sustainable program that can be adopted broadly across the nation. Intellectual MeritThe STEM-Discovery program establishes university-high school partnerships and facilitates project-based STEM learning in the engineering design process. The project offers summer camps and team competitions that are designed to motivate high school students to understand the fundamentals of engineering design challenges. The program also exposes the students to key enabling technologies and helps them develop teamwork and communication skills. The program is based on the premise that competition drives excellence and provides connections to real-world applications such as designing a fuel-cell car. The project also offers workshops for high school teachers that provide professional development and networking opportunities. The program is structured to test a small scale pilot, refine the program by incorporating participant feedback, and expand to engage more high schools and universities in STEM partnerships.Broader ImpactsBuilding on established connections between Louisiana Tech University and high schools, the STEM-Discovery project has identified twelve partnering high schools with high URM student enrollments. Over the five years of the project, at least 84 teachers and 252 students from these high schools will be engaged directly in the workshops and design competitions. Teacher professional development and interaction among students at these schools have the potential to attract non-participating students and stimulate their interest in higher education and careers in STEM-related areas. Broad dissemination of the project content to a larger audience is provided through virtual learning venues and workshops at national professional conferences. The model of empowering underrepresented minority students and teachers in high schools through project-based learning by immersion in content focused camps and design project competitions is potentially scalable and adaptable across the nation.