Junior Achievement of South Central PA’s Post

This month's Student Spotlight is Edgar Cruz! Edgar is a MARC scholar studying Biomolecular Engineering & Bioinformatics, and is a part of Valerie Cortez's lab. "Using my education, I can pave the path for future generations of underprivileged students to come as I serve as a mentor for those to come and as a voice for those who came before me." Read more about Edgar's experience here: https://lnkd.in/gNn4Y8_6

Encouraging Inquiry in STEM: STEM activities promote critical thinking. Engage in science experiments and discovery projects. 🔬🚀🧒 #ParentingHacks #EarlyEdTips #EffectiveParenting #ChildLearningStrategies #CreativeParenting #EducationalHacks #ToddlerTeaching #SkillfulParenting #ChildhoodDevelopment #PlayfulLearning #ParentChildRelationship #ParentingTips

What makes us unique? We are greatly inspired by Stanford professor Manu Prakash who built the Foldscope: an optical microscope designed to cost less than US$1 to build. Project Kshitij is unique as it adopts a holistic approach and through efficient collaboration aims to confront both the causes of the prevailing humanitarian concern (feasibility and language barrier) to promote STEM culture and provide leverage to passionate students. We want to make STEM and education in technology more accessible to all. The gap in the research literature associated with both rural education and STEM education, i.e., rural STEM education needs to be addressed. STEM education is neglected in rural areas of most parts of the world leading to increasing disparities between the economic classes and thus reducing opportunities for the already underprivileged. Project Kshitij aims to address the humanitarian concern of unequal access to quality education, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: every individual should have access to inclusive, equitable quality education.

This article from The 74 highlights the importance of the need to boost K-5 science, especially in rural schools. Read how we can empower young minds, spark curiosity, and pave the way for future scientists: https://ow.ly/ajLG50QiRAL

Important reading on the need for far more innovative approaches to science education. If the new approach to industrial policy and STEM jobs is going to succeed, we need to reimagine science education for elementary students according to @jeanneMccarty @The74 Finding ‘Lost Einsteins’ Means Fixing K-5 Science, Especially in Rural Schools – The 74 https://lnkd.in/gr6QGfUv

Why do we use the term PATHWAYS instead of ‘pipeline’ in our longitudinal study of youth persistence in STEM careers? Many researchers, including our team, have raised concerns about the “pipeline” metaphor: it implies a single linear path and not the heterogeneity of #pathways. The #pipeline framing ignores the systemic inequities of science learning contexts that have posed disruptions and obstacles to youth’s #STEM pursuits; and masks the cultural and contextual features of youth’s lived experiences that serve as assets and resources.    In a NEW paper out in Teachers College Record last week, we describe our study’s methodological and conceptual approach to these concerns. We offer alternative ways to measure and understand pathways through our NSF-funded #longitudinal study which is mixed methods and relies on survey, social network and interview data.   Dr Anna MacPherson, the first author, explained:  “To collect information about where youth and new adults were located along their professional pathway and measure constructs we hypothesized might be related to their chosen pathways, we had to design a new survey instrument in the first year of the study. In our paper, we describe the way we selected published scales that measure key constructs of interest (e.g., belonging, science identity, flourishing) and summarize our first year of data collection. In this project, we challenge the typical "pipeline" metaphor by interrogating what is meant by a “STEM” pathway, measuring constructs not typically measured in STEM pipeline research, endeavoring to make our measures intersectional, and imagining alternative outcomes in addition to “staying in STEM." We hope that these methods and alternative conceptions will help other researchers who are also studying youth pathways! https://lnkd.in/e8gVx6RM Staying in Science Research team: Preeti Gupta, Rachel Chaffee, Jennifer Adams, Anna MacPherson, Alan Daly, Peter Bjorklund Jr., Ph.D., Lois Wu, Jahneal Francis, MPH, CPH, Lucie Lagodich, Priya-Syrina H., Coral Braverman, Mahmoud Abouelkheir  #informal #learning #STEM #pathways #youth #museums #research

The fourth article in our AGEP Special Issue, “Facilitating the Transition of Underrepresented Minority STEM Dissertators into Academic Careers: Evolution of TxARM AGEP Alliance Model,” explores the development, implementation, and evolution of a replicable model to transition a cohort of STEM URM dissertators into the professoriate. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eRrWVjnY

Educators need to engage with their students' innate curiosity and interests to spark enthusiasm for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). I've devised several strategies that can be put into action to cultivate a deeper appreciation for a STEM-focused curriculum for your students.   Introduce students to various professionals who have excelled in STEM fields. Emphasize the accomplishments that scientists, engineers, and mathematicians have made to improve the quality of life for all humans. Specifically, illustrate the relevance of STEM by sharing stories about the innovations that have significantly enhanced society but have often been taken for granted. Explain to your students that they have the necessary skill set to be part of a team that will become future innovators and problem solvers.   Foster a classroom environment where your students celebrate curiosity, exploration, and creativity. Provide opportunities for students to ask questions, explore their interests, and pursue projects that allow them to apply theory in practical applications. Use experimentation to teach your students to embrace failure and treat it as part of the learning process. It is imperative to have a curriculum designed to allow hands-on, experiential learning activities that explore and solve tangible concepts. Allowing students to build prototypes to solve real-world problems might make them more willing to appreciate the value of a STEM curriculum.   "Never have so many enjoyed so much that so few created." It is time that we start to balance the scale because the future will require many more skillful STEM professionals. I read somewhere, that in the next two years, there will be more technical advancements than all the innovations that occurred since the beginning of time. If we do not influence more STEM students to embrace a technical profession, then the standard of living we enjoy now will be in jeopardy!  

Engaging students in science may empower them to become tomorrow's STEM leaders and problem-solvers! Check out these 5 ways to inspire kids to become scientists.🧪

Engaging students in science may empower them to become tomorrow's STEM leaders and problem-solvers! Check out these 5 ways to inspire kids to become scientists.🧪