IMPACT LA- Improving Minority Partnerships and Access through CISE-related Teaching

California State L A University Auxiliary Services Inc., Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

The IMPACT LA program places Computer and Information Science and Engineering graduate teaching fellows in STEM middle- and high-school classrooms within the East Los Angeles area. Graduate fellows conduct research and develop related hands-on activities in the areas of image processing, information hiding, 3D computer graphics and computer vision techniques, embedded computing, sensor networks, and bioinformatics. Fellows work closely with G6-12 teachers to develop the hands-on activities designed to enhance the educational experience of G6-12 students and increase their interest in STEM-related fields. Through technology education courses and workshops, California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) faculty train fellows to improve their communication, collaboration, and teaching skills. The program goals are achieved through a strong partnership between CSULA, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) District #5, local industry, and minority serving organizations such as HENAAC and MESA. The broader impacts of this program are to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who pursue college degrees and careers in STEM and to strengthen the research and teaching skills of the graduate fellows. LAUSD District #5 is composed of 89,702 students where 96.6% are underrepresented minorities. Fellows will be placed in Roosevelt High School and its two feeder middle schools, Stevenson and Hollenbeck. As a United States Department of Education Accredited Minority Postsecondary Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution, CSULA has a large number of minority undergraduate Computer Science and Engineering students who will be encouraged to participate in the IMPACT LA program as graduate fellows.