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Engaging Hispanic Youth into STEM via Clubs and ‘Balloons’ Activities

Graduate #86
Discipline: Science and Mathematics Education
Subcategory: Education

Andres F. Calle - University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Co-Author(s): Sujeily Soto, Oscar Marcelo Suárez, and Agnes M. Padovani



In many underserved communities, public schools do not have sufficient activities that encourage student involvement into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. As a consequence, young underrepresented minority groups are unaware of how the STEM disciplines can impact their daily lives, and how they can participate and create technological innovations that improve society. Public universities can play a critical role in providing educational activities to promote STEM education. The University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez (UPRM) hosts one of the NSF-funded Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST). One of the educational objectives of the CREST program is to promote STEM education in middle schools and high schools through educational modules with emphasis on Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). MSE clubs were also created to increase awareness and interest in the areas of materials science, nanotechnology, and engineering. Over the years, a total of eighteen clubs have been established in the western region of Puerto Rico in the municipalities of Lajas, San Sebastían, Isabela, Aguadilla, Cabo Rojo, Hormigueros, Aguada, and Mayaguez. Once a year, the Center brings together all clubs to partake in an educational and entertaining activity: the Annual MSE Club Meeting held at the main UPRM sports coliseum. Each annual gathering is dedicated to a different nanotechnology concept selected by the Center’s researchers. The number of participants, toping 500 in 2014, has consistently increased throughout the years as more clubs have formed in additional schools affiliated to the Center. Our analysis showed increased interest in careers in STEM as a consequence of these high impact activities. Finally, strategies are being developed to impact more students through innovating means, while supporting new clubs in underserved communities in Puerto Rico.

Not Submitted

Funder Acknowledgement(s): This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation through grants No. 0833112 and 1345156 (CREST program). Oscar Marcelo Suárez and Agnes M. Padovani

Faculty Advisor: Oscar Marcelo Suárez, msuarez@ece.uprm.edu

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. DUE-1930047. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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