EAGER: STEM Illinois: The Land-Grant Model of Outreach and Education to Nurture Future Underrepresented Computer Scientists

尽管计算机科学管道编程几十年来，有色人种学生在计算机科学和信息技术学科的参与仍然令人震惊的低。STEM伊利诺伊州是一个项目深深植根于历史使命的赠地机构，这是民主化高等教育和解决世界？最紧迫的社会挑战。该项目将专门与50至100名父母没有大学学位和有辍学风险的学生合作。来自这些背景的计算机科学家代表了少数教师和行业专业人士。STEM伊利诺伊项目旨在通过使用代际外展和教育的激进模型来评估和分析COVID-19对他们的教育成果和追求的影响。这种模式旨在创造一种创新文化，让社区的所有成员都能看到、理解并感受到他们可以支持年轻人进行计算机科学创新。重要的是要了解文化参与项目的哪些方面促进青年人的计算机科学身份和持久性。STEM伊利诺伊州项目的目标是创建一个独特的生态系统，将培养未来的计算机科学家在工业和学术界。该项目将为代表性不足的学生提供计算机科学活动，包括使用空间分析来绘制易受COVID-19影响的社区，编码，大数据分析，人工智能，数据可视化，数学，算法，以及使用录音室来使用艺术和音乐来代表计算机科学概念。学生将获得前所未有的导师和专业经验，包括采访行业/学术计算科学家的播客，让TEDxYouth谈论他们在计算机科学方面的经验，与诺贝尔奖获得者的问答环节等。目标还包括增加在State Farm、美国退休人员协会（AARP）和微软（劳动力发展）等大公司进行计算机科学实习和工作的学生人数。该项目将通过测试前和测试后的调查、访谈和参与者观察进行评估。该项目将使用计算机科学态度和身份调查（或类似的工具），其中包括一个人对自己的计算机科学技能有多自信以及他们对计算机科学作为一种职业有多大兴趣的问题。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Despite decades of computer science pipeline programming, participation of students of color in computer science and information technology disciplines remains alarmingly low. STEM Illinois is a project deeply rooted in the historic mission of land-grant institutions, which is to democratize higher education and to address the world?s most pressing societal challenges. This project will specifically work with 50 to 100 students whose parents do not have a college degree and who are at risk for dropping out of school. Computer scientists from these backgrounds represent a small number of faculty and industry professionals. The STEM Illinois project seeks to evaluate and analyze the impact of COVID-19 on their educational outcomes and pursuits by using a radical model of intergenerational outreach and education. This model seeks to create a culture of innovation where all members of the community see, understand, and feel that they can support their youth in computer science innovation. It is importance to understand which aspects of the culturally engaging project foster a computer science identity and persistence among the youth.The goal of the STEM Illinois project is to create a unique ecosystem that will nurture future computer scientists in industry and the academy. This project will provide underrepresented students with computer science activities that include using spatial analysis to map communities vulnerable to COVID-19, coding, big data analysis, artificial intelligence, data visualization, math, algorithms, and access to a recording studio to represent computer science concepts using art and music. Students will receive unprecedented access to mentors and professional experiences that include interviewing industry/academic computing scientists for podcasts, giving TEDxYouth talks about their experiences with computer science, questions and answer sessions with Nobel Prize Winners, etc. This project will increase the number of marginalized students majoring in Computer Science and Information Technology at the University of Illinois and around the country. The goal is also to increase the number of students in computer science internships and jobs at large companies such as State Farm, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and Microsoft (workforce development). The project will be evaluated using pre- and post-tests surveys, interviews, and participant observation. The project will use the Computer Science Attitude and Identity Survey (or a similar instrument) that includes questions about how confident a person feels about their computer science skills and how much interest they have in computer science as a profession.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.