Guitar, Robotics, Rocketry ATE (GRRATE) Summer Institutes

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Rural students are often faced with low educational attainment, geographic isolation, and negative social dynamics tied to race, class, and economic inequality. For many rural students, majors and careers in STEM fields are undesirable and not encouraged. Research shows that early interventions to shape the perception of STEM to students as early as middle school by developing a sense of belonging can shift the interest of students in technical careers specifically and STEM generally. This project will address technician workforce needs by increasing the number and diversity of students who are interested in entering career and technical education majors and ultimately technician careers in high-tech STEM fields. The Santa Fe College Technician Education programs include: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Automotive, Biotechnology, Building Construction, Computer Networking, Computer Programming and Analysis, Information Systems, Plumbing, and Welding. The project will leverage lessons learned from the Upward Bound summer camp pilot to adapt and implement the Guitar, Robotics, and Rocketry curriculum as a Summer Institute program to attract students to these technician career fields before they graduate high school.The overarching goal of the project is to increase the quantity of students from rural regions and from groups underrepresented in STEM entering technician careers in high-tech STEM fields. This goal will be accomplished through five objectives: 1) Adapt and format curriculum to enhance college preparation mathematics for the Summer Institutes ; 2) Provide faculty, staff, and local secondary school educators professional development to ensure consistent implementation of the curriculum and pedagogical models; 3) Host Summer Institutes at the College’s five educational centers over the project lifetime; 4) Evaluate the effectiveness of project outcomes through a validated pre/post attitude and career interest survey, pre/post comparison of math skills, and follow-up interviews; and 5) Engage local employers in the development of technician career exploration presentations and/or videos. The project will collaborate with community partners including Upward Bound (UB), College Achievement Program (CAP), SF Achieve, and two University of Central Florida and Children’s Home Society Community Partnership Schools (CPS) to recruit students and to provide year-round support for student development. Collaboration with the Florida Local Alliance for Math Literacy and Equity (FLAME) will provide guidance in strengthening the math skills of project participants. Curriculum adaptation will be based on pedagogical practices designed to combat stereotype threats and enhance self-efficacy. Local employers will provide expertise for curriculum improvement based on industry needs and provide information about technician career opportunities and educational requirements for those careers. The project results will be disseminated through project presentations and publications and will be shared with project partners. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.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.