The Impact of Making and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

American Association For The Advancement Of Science, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) supports conferences that seek to increase the research capacity of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and faculty at HBCUs. The American Association For Advancement Science (AAAS) will organize two Making & Innovation Showcases to provide students and faculty from HBCUs with an opportunity to implement and present technology prototypes. Additionally, AAAS will conduct an evaluation research study exploring the impact of maker-related activities on students, faculty, and institutions. The showcases will be held in February 2018 and February 2019 jointly with the Emerging Researchers National Conference in Washington, DC. The goal of the HBCU Making & Innovation Showcases is to encourage and support increased participation in STEM-related innovation and entrepreneurship activities by students of color. To meet this goal, AAAS will support at least fifteen student teams to participate in the HBCU Making & Innovation Showcases, provide students with innovation-focused training at the showcases, and document and disseminate the implementation of innovation activities at the institutions. Through this project, students will create prototypes using hardware and software to address one of the seventeen sustainable development goals of the United Nations. The Making and Innovation Showcases will enable AAAS to promote innovation and making on HBCU campuses and provide a platform to investigate the ways in which making and innovation are supported and sustained at these institutions. The impact of the activities will be studied using quantitative and qualitative research methods.