Bridging the World of Work and Informal STEM Education

为了充分发挥其在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）方面的潜力，美国必须继续招募、准备和维持一支多元化的STEM劳动力队伍。在这方面已经做了大量工作。然而，STEM领域的代表性不足仍然存在，尤其是西班牙裔STEM专业人士。西班牙裔社区是美国最年轻和增长最快的种族/族裔群体，但仅占STEM劳动力的7%。需要更多的循证解决方案和创新办法。该项目致力于通过创新方法解决STEM代表性不足的挑战，特别是在西班牙裔人中。圣地亚哥大学将设计、开发、实施和测试一种多层次的STEM学习方法，该方法专门针对西班牙裔青年的STEM领域的STEM学习和劳动力发展。STEM工作世界项目将通过三种机制探索青年STEM身份：（1）评估他们的个人兴趣，优势和价值观，（2）接触一系列可行的STEM职业，以及（3）参与严格的实践STEM活动。该项目以青年夏季STEM充实计划为中心，并在学年期间在非正式环境中提供一系列后续助推器会议，以促进家庭参与。这项工作的最重要的是圣地亚哥的五个优先劳动力部门的核心重点：先进制造业，信息和通信技术，清洁能源，医疗保健和生物技术。很少，如果有的话，在推进非正式STEM学习组合的现有项目已经探索了这五个优先劳动力部门，非正式STEM学习，并在主要是西班牙裔青年和家庭从事为期一年的身份之间的潜在联系，文化响应STEM学习和劳动力为重点的计划。如果成功的话，该模型可以为未来类似的努力提供一个模板。STEM工作世界项目将使用混合方法，探索性研究设计，以更好地了解在拟议的背景下影响STEM学习和学术和职业选择的变量。研究问题将探讨：（1）该项目对学生参与度，STEM身份，STEM动机和学术成果的影响，（2）调节这些结果的因素，以及（3）该模型对影响年轻人个人目标和职业选择的影响。数据将通过横断面和纵向调查以及与学生及其家长/监护人的反思焦点小组收集。将进行多变量方差分析、纵向建模和定性分析，以分析和报告数据。将利用各种方法和平台传播调查结果。调查结果和工作的更广泛的影响预计将远远超出项目团队，研究生导师，项目合作伙伴，以及估计120名中学生和他们的家庭从主要是西班牙裔的圣地亚哥丘拉维斯塔社区谁将直接受到该项目的影响。这个探索性的途径项目由推进非正式STEM学习计划资助，该计划旨在推进非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括提供多种途径，以扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验，推进非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对深入学习的理解。

To reach its full potential in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), the United States must continue to recruit, prepare and maintain a diverse STEM workforce. Much work has been done in this regard. Yet, underrepresentation in STEM fields persists and is especially pronounced for Hispanic STEM professionals. The Hispanic community is the youngest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States but comprises only seven percent of the STEM workforce. More evidence-based solutions and innovative approaches are required. This project endeavors to address the challenges of underrepresentation in STEM, especially among individuals of Hispanic descent, through an innovative approach. The University of San Diego will design, develop, implement, and test a multilayered STEM learning approach specific to STEM learning and workforce development in STEM fields targeting Hispanic youth. The STEM World of Work project will explore youth STEM identity through three mechanisms: (1) an assessment of their individual interests, strengths, and values, (2) exposure to an array of viable STEM careers, and (3) engagement in rigorous hands-on STEM activities. The project centers on a youth summer STEM enrichment program and a series of follow-up booster sessions delivered during the academic year in informal contexts to promote family engagement. Paramount to this work is the core focus on San Diego's Five Priority Workforce Sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Information and Communications Technology, Clean Energy, Healthcare, and Biotech. Few, if any, existing projects in the Advancing Informal STEM learning portfolio have explored the potential connections between these five priority workforce sectors, informal STEM learning, and identity among predominately Hispanic youth and families engaged in a year-long, culturally responsive STEM learning and workforce focused program. If successful, the model could provide a template for the facilitation of similar efforts in the future.The STEM World of Work project will use a mixed-methods, exploratory research design to better understand the variables influencing STEM learning and academic and career choices within the proposed context. The research questions will explore: (1) the impacts of the project on students' engagement, STEM identity, STEM motivation, and academic outcomes, (2) factors that moderate these outcomes, and (3) the impact the model has on influencing youths' personal goals and career choices. Data will be garnered through cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys and reflective focus groups with the students and their parents/guardians. Multivariate analysis of variance, longitudinal modeling, and qualitative analysis will be conducted to analyze and report the data. The findings will be disseminated using a variety of methods and platforms. The broader impacts of the findings and work are expected to extend well beyond the project team, graduate student mentors, project partners, and the estimated 120 middle school students and their families from the predominately Hispanic Chula Vista Community of San Diego who will be directly impacted by the project. This exploratory pathways project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning 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, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.