Our Story
Launching the STEMCC Program
Throughout the three years of the STEM Career Connections (STEMCC) project, our programming continually evolved to best match our project goals with the needs of our partners. We had the opportunity to try out various implementations, each uniquely organized to best meet the needs of the youth, but always incorporating theÌýSTEMCC model.Ìý
STEM Career Connections launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, which provided unexpected challenges and opportunities. Due to restrictions working with STEM businesses and middle school youth in person, our planned efforts to launch the STEMCC Model in an Out of School Time (OST) setting with summer camp and afterschool partners needed to change.Ìý
So, we pivoted to building partnerships with the local school district, which allowed us to collaborate with teachers and counselors to provide in-school STEM learning opportunities that integrated career explorations and STEM mentoring within our sensor technologies and 3D printing curricula.
Outcomes from shifting focus
We introduced a larger group of youth than initially planned to 3D printing and programmable sensor technology.Ìý
- We connected youth with one local STEM organization that provided multiple mentors for youth working with 3D printing technologies. These STEM mentors worked closely with youth, guided them through their 3D printing projects, and shared their STEM trajectories. Because Mentor-youth interactions were virtual due to the pandemic and school district restrictions, we could partner with STEM professionals nationwide. It allowed the students to get an opportunity to learn about other available STEM jobs.Ìý
- Youth explored different STEM careers and pathways using career-focused activities that our team co-developed with the College & Career Readiness Coordinator to align with the district’s career and post-secondary planning program. Measures of student strengths and career awareness were integrated into the sensor technology curriculum. Helping students connect their skills, interests, and strengths to potential career choices early on increases opportunities for a successful future.Ìý
Overcoming Challenges Caused by COVID-19
Our shift in scope during the first year was met with challenges. We focused on supporting teachers' rapidly changing needs and adapting curriculum and programming for in-person, remote, or hybrid implementation. With each challenge, though, was a lesson learned.Ìý
For example, although the virtual mentoring was informative, it could have been more engaging, and the middle school youth were initially uncomfortable interacting with adults in a virtual environment.Ìý
To address this, our team developed new resources and support materials for student engagement, like sentence starters and template questions to ask STEM mentors. We also provided resources and training for the local STEM professionals, and frequently met with teachers and STEM mentors to communicate about successes and challenges.
Ìý
STEM Integration Within Summer Enrichment Camp
ÌýAs our first school year wrapped up and the in-person COVID-19 safety procedures shifted, we collaborated with a local non-profit organization to bring programmable sensor technology and STEM mentoring to summer camp.Ìý
Our three consecutive summer camp programs involved different approaches to include the STEMCC goals in the existing summer camp. The first year of camp was one intense week of sensor and STEM career activities. The second year had four weeks of camp with programmable sensors and STEM career activities integrated into the overall camp theme. For the third year, youth focused on 3D printing and STEM careers during a daily STEM block over the four weeks of camp.Ìý Each summer, we worked with our partner organization to design the camp experiences and were able to tap into their network of STEM professionals. The participating facilitators were trained beforehand on the technology, and the mentors were trained on developing youth-mentor relationships.Ìý
The summer camps allowed youth to design projects that utilize STEM technology to solve problems, often involving a local or community issue. Youth projects focused on topics such as, preventing wildfires, creating smart gardens, and providing safe passage for mountain animals while crossing roadways.Ìý
Youth had opportunities to apply their learnings with STEM technology to hands-on experiences in the field. By partnering with a local community garden, youth were presented with a design challenge - to design ways to use programmable sensors to make the garden more sustainable and increase the garden’s ability to serve the community by yielding more produce.
During the summer, mentors could meet with the youth in person to help them brainstorm ideas and support them in their projects. It permitted them to develop a more prosperous mentor-mentee relationship.Ìý
This video, , highlights youth and educator voices describing the STEM Career Connections (STEMCC) career readiness model and their experiences at summer camp and in the classroom.
Connecting Youth to STEM Career Pathways
The Importance of Partnerships
Partnerships with the local school district, local non-profit organizations, local businesses, and community members from the local STEM ecosystem played a vital role in our project. Through these mutually beneficial partnerships (explore the example network map from Practice Brief 3), we created rich STEM learning experiences for youth that provided:
- Visibility to STEM careers.
- First-hand knowledge of how STEM benefits their community.
- Opportunities to apply their learnings with STEM technology to address real-world challenges.
Our team partnered with a local afterschool STEM program provider to expand STEM opportunities in the out-of-school setting. We delivered the curricula to the organization, and they adapted it to work with their organization. We provided training and support for the sensors and 3D printing technologies and worked with program coordinators to recruit mentors that fit their goals and curricula. The STEM provider offered the afterschool program at three middle schools within the district. Youth met once per week over an entire semester. It was more informal and included multiple field trips to community organizations.Ìý
During the afterschool STEM program, our partners personalized STEMCC project components to address an identified local problem - rebuilding a footbridge within a public Open Space trail area. This new bridge needed to address a variety of safety and accessibility requirements. The program coordinators worked with our team and partnered with Open Space staff to co-design a unit where youth designed bridge solutions using 3D printing technology and helped build the actual bridge installed in the Open Space trail area.Ìý
Ìý
Creating a STEM Community Partnership Group
Composed of various community members representing the perspectives of youth, parents, businesses, K-12 education, career counselors, higher education, and nonprofit organizations, the STEM Community Partnership GroupÌý
regularly gathered during years two and three of the project to identify, support, and make connections between STEM opportunities for youth in the local community. A highlight of every meeting was sharing local STEM or career opportunities for youth and celebrating accomplishments. Some notable work of the partnership includes the development of a STEM community calendar, articulating STEM career pathways that exist within the community, developing STEM career profiles of professionals from the community, and efforts to expand participation in the community partnership group to more the partnership involvement of STEM businesses in the county.Ìý
Ìý
By The Numbers: The STEMCC Project
Our STEMCC Model: Aiming to deepen technology-rich curricula through community partnerships by supporting youth through personally relevant experience with local STEM and computing occupations.
Ìý "I think it's really important to try and help facilitateÌýyouth in STEM and make sure we give back and support students." - 2021 MentorÌý
| *fall - summer | Year 1 2020- 2021* | Year 2 2021-2022* | Year 3 2022-2023* |
| Number of STEM teachers, summer and afterschool instructors | 12 | 24 | 36 |
| Number of YouthÌý | 555 | 489 | 426 |
| Number of Mentors and Guest Speakers in our STEMCC network | 33 | 54 | 57 |
| Number of Community Partners | 4 | 17 | 21 |
Ìý