Countries, including the USA, are examining ways in which they can bring a high-quality program of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)to their youth in preparation for the role they must play in economic development. Black and Brown students are traditionally reported as lagging behind in academic performance, and there is concern that this status may lead to their exclusion from STEM programs and thus limit their ability to participate in a program that leads them to higher academic achievement with an inroad to higher education and higher financial rewards in a profession that is high yielding, not only in the USA, but the across the globe. The chapter highlights how three mentoring programs support Black high school students to do STEM, including collaborations between STEM professionals and students, a summer camp, and an after-school program. It includes curricula to influence students' interest in STEM. Recommendations for program revisions include e-mentoring, hosting workshops in central locations, and incorporating reflections after workshops to improve session quality.
TopBackground To The Problem
As a STEM educator teaching in the public school system for almost thirty years I have witnessed students identified as failing by standardized tests, rise up and achieve highly when the curriculum is organized and delivered in such a manner where their funds of knowledge are acknowledged and brought center into the curriculum (Sleeter, 2008). Where their special needs, circumstances, and characteristics are taken into consideration and especially when the time is taken to mentor them and guide them through the different stages right through into academic success, they rise up and achieve. This study focuses on Black students in under-resourced schools and communities (also identified as low socio-economic schools) who participated in three different STEM programs where they were mentored and monitored towards the attainment of academic success. It is particularly important for Black, Indigenous, and all students of color (BIPOC) to be given the opportunity to receive an education that exposes them to the field of STEM as it is the fastest growing area of education and one that has high demands for graduates in this field and one that pays high incomes for these professionals.
Industries in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) have enriched the economy of the United States because the country’s economic wellbeing depends on STEM industries. The U.S. Department of Commerce, STEM Jobs, 2017 Update reported that skills attained through STEM, such as critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and technological processes are highly prized skills in very high-level jobs. These high-level jobs tend to be reward employees with advanced salaries that may be the gateway to a financially secure standard of living and thus, upward mobility.
This researcher asserts that students who attend under-resourced schools are at risk of being excluded from STEM based programs as these schools, typically located in low socio- economic status (SES) neighborhoods, often do not provide the required curricula. In keeping with the demand for social justice and equity in schools, this chapter puts forth research that demonstrates ways in which teachers may respond to this inequity and provide STEM programs and activities in under-resourced schools and engage students in such a manner that sustains their participation and high academic achievement in STEM.
As the research demonstrates, students who enter STEM programs at an early age, are quite likely to continue their participation right through to graduation, especially if they are nurtured and mentored throughout the grades. This may direct them to choose these fields as their majors in college and their careers (U.S. Department of Commerce, STEM Jobs, 2017 Update).