4. For many 6-12 grade minority students, answering the question,
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” doesn’t include
careers in the high-demand STEM fields.
Role models tend to be limited to sports and entertainment figures
who are rich and famous.
Research shows across the nation, too few students of color take
coursework to prepare themselves for STEM careers.
According to a June 2012 article on Phys.org, “Minority college
students who major in the STEM fields…earn at least 25 percent
more than their peers who study humanities or education…”
“While minority groups continue to be underrepresented in the
STEM fields, researchers believe this will change if students
understand how much more money can be earned in those fields.”
Minority Student Trends and Facts
5. Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail writes the following in his 2011 article for
U.S News and World Report:
African-Americans, American Indians, and Latinos account for 34
percent of the total U.S. population (ages 18 to 24), but earn only
12 percent of all undergraduate degrees in engineering.
Women account for nearly half—46 percent—of the U.S. labor
force but account for just 10.8 percent of U.S. engineers.
“In order to remain competitive in the global marketplace, our
education system must progress alongside our nation's evolving
demographic.”
Minority Student Trends and Facts
6. Allowing students to become more involved in and expressive
about their culture
Creating a minority-friendly climate on campus to successful
retention
Celebrate different cultural awareness events thorough
afterschool (i.e. Cinco De Mayo)
Hiring a culturally diverse staff that reflect the population of
students
Professional development for afterschool instructors on STEM
careers and diverse populations
Develop peer-mentoring program designed to expose middle
school students to science, technology, engineering and
mathematics by engaging them in activities with older, high
school students already interested in these subjects
Strategies that Enhance Retention
7. Exposing minority students to STEM during the middle school years
will help them see the value of education.
It’s important for minority students to see someone in a white coat that
looks like them and is the same gender pursuing a career in STEM. For
example, African- American male students need to see more role
models outside of just the sports and the entertainment industries.
STEM Careers
8. New York
Washington
San Jose
San Francisco
Boston
Chicago
Los Angeles
Houston
Atlanta
Dallas
Top Ten Cities for STEM Jobs
9. • Seek college students in STEM
• Local/Area hospitals and businesses
• Internet
• Visit local women’s groups and other STEM related
organizations for mentors, classroom visits, donations and
judges at your competitions and events.
• Visit community ethnic group organizations
• Activity: Make one contact—use your iPad/tablet,
iPhone/smartphone, or laptop and look up one
minority group or person in your area and make
contact—call or email.
Where are Minority Role Models and
How Can We Use Them?
10. Robotics
Design Squad
Lego Mind storms
Anatomy and Physiology
CSI
Astronomy
Grossology
Green Thumbs Gardening Club
GamerZone
Putt Putt boats
Current STEM Courses from UA Sites
11. Student Description: Explore the
nasty, snotty, germy, and overall
gross parts of the human and
animal body.
Grossology
Course Description: Students
will engage in hands-on
experimentation and learning
about various body systems,
germs and bacteria, animal
digestion, plant and animal
science, and more.
12. Student Description: There are
three major rules that we want
our robots to follow: do not harm
a human, obey us, and protect us.
We need to make robots smarter.
“Transform It”
Course Description: Create the
ultimate robot from a collection of
parts. Use your imagination
and create a robot that nobody has
seen before. Design, build and
program robots using Lego Mind-
Storms and Vex robotic kits while
having a good time.
13. Student Description: If you enjoy
building, creating, and working
with your hands, Design Squad is
the class for you!! Unleash your
imagination and discover the power
of teamwork, while learning the
design process. Activities in this
class include building macaroni
and rubber band cars, creating your
own zip line, making an electric
game box and engineering your
own solar oven etc. Build it, make
it, test it!
Design Squad
Course Description: Students
participate in hands-on engineering
activities, they expand their
thinking, unleash their imagination,
and discover the power of
teamwork. Students will build
macaroni cars, rubber band cars, an
aluminum boat that will hold
pennies, etc.
www.pbskids.org/designsquad
14. Course Description: In this class
students will create steam powered
boat using a variety of materials
such as aluminum cans, styro-foam,
straws and construction paper.
Once students have completed the
construction of their boat, they will
test their durability and record data
as to why their boat did or did not
work.
Putt Putt Boats
Student Description: Putt-putt
boats (also called pop-pop boats)
were once very popular
throughout the world in the first
half of the 20th century. So why
did they disappear?
15. Student Description: We’ve got a
top secret mission to run some
special experiments. Don’t share it
with the other kids in class because
No Boys Allowed!
No Boys Allowed
Student Description: This class was
created due to a survey conducted on
campus. In our survey it was found
that the girls on our campus did not feel
comfortable being in a science class
with boys, especially the robotics class.
Therefore, based on the survey and the
need to ensure that our girls
participated in STEM classes, we
designed the class especially for girls.
16. Student Description: Think you
can game? Take your gaming
skills to a new level by inventing
and designing your own video
game. Join GamerZone and
become a developer.
Gamer Zone
Course Description: Students
will explore the world of on-
line video game development
through guided hands-on
learning and practice.
Culminating projects will be
"released" for play during a
special school day event.
17. Offer/expose all students to STEM courses
Grab their attention
Staff/train appropriately
Essential Elements
18. National Society of Black Engineers’ Nsbe.org/seek
Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement
MESAUSA.org
Advanced Placement STEM Access-collegeboard.org
Project Lead the Way Pltw.org
Summer Math and Science Honors Academy
LPFI.org/smash
STEM Resources
