STEMcyclists: Black and Brown Youth Transforming Science and Engineering via Bikes

自行车是一个以透明技术为中心的工程系统，它促进了行动的自由，因此有可能使移动和访问民主化。作为一种可访问的技术，它允许修补、重新设计、修复、定制、重新混合、重新利用、建造和重建。该项目利用自行车和骑自行车向传统上代表性不足的青少年（9-10年级）介绍STEM内容和经验，让他们参加基于地点的非正式学习活动。研究人员与社区组织一起工作，计划和促进暑期学院和学年期间的队列会议。年轻人将通过创造和贡献知识来参与他们所在社区的STEM学习，这些知识将为他们自己在科学、工程和生物力学等主题的学习提供指导。该项目的目标是利用自行车和自行车学习经验，通过城市社区青年组织的资产推进STEM、以人为本的工程和科学框架。该项目将影响96名城市九年级和十年级的学生。数据将在三年的夏季和秋季/春季课程之前、期间和之后收集。主要数据来源将是对所有会议的观察和录像；与青年、同侪导师、导师、团队成员和社区伙伴进行半结构化访谈；而且，年轻人产生了项目工件、规划和设计、模块和机构工件。这种基于资产的方法将通过四个重叠的重点来实现：(a)应用重建自行车的STEM过程（工程设计原则和科学实践）；(b)了解自行车和骑自行车的生物力学；(c)以单车为媒介，体验和发现社会上的STEM现象；(d)转变青年的STEM身份。该项目将通过他们如何参与和应用工程原理来重建自行车，实际的自行车重建，青年讨论以及与同龄人和教练/辅导员的互动，来表达他们的理解，从而使年轻人对STEM感兴趣并参与其中。这一整合研究与实践的第4类项目由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助，该计划支持以下项目：(a)促进研究和实践，考虑非正式STEM学习在STEM公平和归属方面的作用；(b)促进个人和教育在STEM方面的成功；(c)促进公众参与科学发现；(d)培养对STEM职业的兴趣；(e)为有效的非正式STEM学习创造和加强理论和经验基础；(f)改善社区活力；及/或(g)加强科学传播和公众对STEM和STEM过程的参与和理解。该项目由“面向学生和教师的创新技术体验”（ITEST）项目共同资助，该项目支持有助于提高学生对科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）以及信息和通信技术（ICT）职业的知识和兴趣的实践、项目要素、背景和流程的理解。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The bike is an engineering system centered on a transparent technology that promotes freedom of movement and thus has the potential to democratize mobility and access. As an accessible technology it allows for tinkering, redesigning, repairing, customizing, re-mixing, repurposing, building, and re-building. This project uses bikes and biking to introduce STEM content and experiences to traditionally underrepresented youth (grades 9-10) by having them participate in place-based informal learning activities. The researchers along with community organizations work together to plan and facilitate a summer institute and cohort sessions during the academic year. The youth will engage in STEM learning in their community by creating and contributing knowledge that informs their own learning in topics like science, engineering, and biomechanics.The goal of this project is to use bikes and biking learning experiences to advance STEM, human-centered engineering, and science frameworks through the assets of an urban, community-based youth organization. The project will impact 96 students in grades 9 and 10 in an urban setting. Data will be collected before, during, and after summer and fall/spring sessions over the course of three years. The main data sources will be observations of, and videorecording of all sessions; semi-structured interviews with youth, peer mentors, instructors, team members and community partners; and, youth produced project artifacts, and planning and design, modules, and institute artifacts. This asset-based approach will be accomplished through four overlapping foci: (a) applying the STEM processes (engineering design principles and scientific practices) of rebuilding bikes; (b) understanding the biomechanics of bikes and biking; (c) using the bike as a medium to experience and uncover STEM phenomena in the community; to (d) transform youth STEM identities. This project will get youth interested and engaged in STEM by having their understandings represented based on how they engage with and apply engineering principles to rebuild bikes, the actual bike rebuild, youth discussions as well as interactions with peers and instructors/facilitators.This Type 4, Integrating Research and Practice, project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which supports projects that: (a) contribute to research and practice that considers informal STEM learning's role in equity and belonging in STEM; (b) promote personal and educational success in STEM; (c) advance public engagement in scientific discovery; (d) foster interest in STEM careers; (e) create and enhance the theoretical and empirical foundations for effective informal STEM learning; (f) improve community vibrancy; and/or (g) enhance science communication and the public's engagement in and understanding of STEM and STEM processes. The project is co-funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts, and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.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.