STEAM Education and Training for Underrepresented Students and Teachers in the Arkansas Delta

摘要 有色人种在STEAM教育和职业中的代表性不足，这通常是由于社会经济和 制度因素。大学预科课程的成功预测了非洲裔美国学生在STEM方面的成功 学科一个蒸汽夏季计划试点项目，6- 9年级的学生从大仲马，阿肯色州（AR） 公立学校，一个主要是非洲裔美国人，低收入，农村城镇位于AR三角洲，一直是 在运作中的阿肯色州（UA）在过去5年。财政支持始于一项为期两年的 该项目得到了当地一个妇女团体的赠款，并继续得到大学资源的承诺。的目标 我们提出的蒸汽暑期计划是从大仲马公众招募400名六年级学生 学校，并增加参与，推广，并为学生和他们的家人，蒸汽教师， 和大仲马周围的社区通过蒸汽教育和培训。2018年，STEM计划 扩大到包括艺术（现在称为蒸汽），以扩大其学生的知识。因此，我们计划： (1)提供基于项目的STEAM课程模块和实践教育和培训，以400上升6 年级学生（每年80名）;（2）通过让15名大仲马STEAM教师参与基于项目的 STEAM教师培训计划;以及（3）通过儿童储蓄账户（CSA）提供大学途径 计划和配套的金融教育课程。本建议的前三个短期目标 提高意识，未来的方向和效率，在蒸汽和蒸汽相关领域的400上升 六年级，代表性不足的少数民族（URM）的学生从大仲马，AR公立小学。的 长期目标是促进大仲马学校STEAM教学的卓越性，提高学生的效能， 对STEAM课程的兴趣，高中保留和毕业，大学储蓄，大学入学和 完成，以及参与者在STEAM和STEAM相关领域的职业道路。我们已经与 生物学、生物医学科学、工程学、艺术学、运动机能学、运动科学、教育学、 和社会工作在我们的校园进行蒸汽夏季计划。在同一时期， STEAM暑期课程，我们还计划在1-4年将大仲马STEAM教师带到UA校园， 参加36小时的STEAM课程和评估培训，并将新模块教授给他们的学生。 自己的学生; 5年级的培训将在大仲马学校进行。外部评估人员将使用调查（例如： 解决问题能力测量（MPSF）;儿童储蓄账户调查）和焦点小组，以（a）评估 学生和教师解决问题的方式，他们使用的策略，以及他们使用 工程设计方法，以有效地解决他们遇到的技术和社会问题;（B） 衡量金融知识和大学储蓄;（c）衡量个人，社会和财务福祉。的 将从对照组（N=400）中收集相同的结局指标。

ABSTRACT People of color are underrepresented in STEAM education and careers, often due to socio-economic and institutional factors. Success in pre-collegiate courses predicts African American student success in STEM disciplines. A STEAM Summer Program pilot project with 6-9th grade students from Dumas, Arkansas (AR) Public School, a predominately African American, low-income, rural town located in the AR Delta, has been in operation at the University of Arkansas (UA) for the past 5 years. Financial support began with a two-year grant from a local women’s group and has continued with commitments from University resources. The goals of our proposed STEAM Summer Program are to recruit 400 rising 6th grade students from Dumas public school and to increase engagement, outreach, and support for students and their families, STEAM teachers, and Dumas surrounding communities through STEAM education and training. In 2018, the STEM program expanded to include Art (now called STEAM) for broadening the knowledge of its students. Thus, we plan to: (1) provide project-based STEAM curriculum modules and hands-on education and training to 400 rising 6th grade students (80 per year); (2) support success by engaging 15 Dumas STEAM teachers in a project-based STEAM Teacher Training Program; and (3) provide a pathway to college via a Child Savings Account (CSA) program and accompanying financial education classes. The first three short-term objectives of this proposal are to increase awareness, future orientation and efficacy in STEAM and STEAM-related fields for 400 rising 6th grade, under-represented minority (URM) students from the Dumas, AR public elementary school. The long-term objectives are to promote excellence in STEAM teaching at Dumas schools, student efficacy and interest in STEAM coursework, high school retention and graduation, college savings, college enrollment and completion, and a career path in STEAM and STEAM-related fields for participants. We have partnered with faculty experts in Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, Art, Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Education, and Social Work to conduct the STEAM Summer Program at our campus. During the same time frame of the STEAM Summer Program, we also plan to bring Dumas STEAM Teachers to the UA Campus in years 1-4 to engage in 36 hours of STEAM curriculum and assessment training and to teach their new modules to their own students; Year 5 training will be at the Dumas schools. An external evaluator will use surveys (e.g. Measure of Problem-Solving Fitness (MPSF); Child Savings Account survey) and focus groups to (a) assess the manner in which students and teachers solve problems, the strategies they utilize, and their use of engineering design methodologies to efficiently solve technical and social problems that they encounter; (b) gauge financial literacy and college savings; and (c) measure personal, social, and financial well-being. The same outcome measures will be collected from the control group (N=400).