Engineering Youth Experience for Promoting Relationships, Identity Development, and Empowerment

University Of South Florida, Tampa FL

Investigators

Abstract

Engineering Youth Experience Promoting Relationships, Identity Development, and Empowerment (EYE PRIDE) is a three-year longitudinal study of a mentoring program at the University of South Florida (USF) to assess the impact of the project's STEM interventions on engineering identity. A novel aspect of the project is to help develop the use of engineering design and life skills, particularly for institutions in areas with high populations of black and Hispanic youth. For the purpose of advancing national prosperity, EYE PRIDE targets underrepresented minorities (URMs) that may not have a strong prior interest in engineering. Thus, the program addresses the problem of insufficient interest, preparation, and opportunities amongst black and Hispanic youth. In addition, the program explores the value of strong interpersonal relationships used to develop support systems, help raise awareness about engineering pathways, and reduce structural inequalities and biases. In the long term, the program aims to spark a cultural shift between USF and its surrounding community that ultimately may lead to a pipeline of URM students for future enrollment and the study of their matriculation. The project considers engineering identity theory to examine the nexus between the engineering design process and literature on culturally responsive learning and mentoring. Activities will be particularly relevant for broadening participation of black and Hispanic youth in underserved populations. Using a mixed methods approach, the effects of the program on engineering identity and development of engineering skills of the following populations will be measured: 1) URM middle school students and 2) undergraduate engineering students and URM novice math/science teachers, who will serve as mentors. Activities are structured through the program's novel Plan, History, Act, Shift, Evaluate, Success (PHASES) design process that uses concepts from the culturally responsive learning literature, Next Generation Science Standards, and engineering design to concurrently teach both life skills and technical skills. The approach is particularly unique because of its basis in "Topic Chaining" which develops connections in three primary ways so learning is culturally relevant: traditional scaffolding to build upon simpler ideas, storytelling through a shared, interconnected narrative, and relevance to the practical realities of participants. After interventions are completed, the investigators plan to continue the mentor/mentee relationship and assessing the skill development and engineering identity growth over time.