We are still in the process of building the CEE-STEM ePortfolio, but we are working with young people from seven different YouthBuild sites to design the tool to really help them recognize and demonstrate their STEM skills. The YouthBuild young people have enthusiastically participated in design activities to help make decisions about visual and UX design, multimedia content and competencies. Students appreciate it when adults really listen to their opinions.

One of the most surprising discoveries for us has been how many more STEM competencies YouthBuild students are able to demonstrate in work-related situations than in classroom environments. We hope to close that gap by supporting them in articulating those competencies using video, images and text in the tool.

Thanks Christopher for your questions and encouragement.  One group we still need at the table are more people with successful STEM careers that are historically underrepresented in STEM.  This includes STEM professionals that are African American or Latino as well as STEM professionals that have come from low-income communities. We especially need these professionals for our case role models and this ties to your point about a lack of access to a network, especially a network that opportunity youth can relate to, which makes it challenging to contemplate or access STEM careers. 

At this point a key support to help students build their social capital is to have them learn to show evidence of their STEM competencies through the eportfolio and get feedback on that from adults currently working with them in the youth build context. 

Within this study, we want the young people to build this skill of talking about STEM skills they have with evidence to back that up and also to begin to see themselves as having a STEM identity. Ultimately, what we we want is for the young people in our study and other opportunity youth like them to be able to demonstrate their STEM skills and interests using this tool within an internship or job application process or when engaging with a college admissions officer to have prior learning recognized. We are in lots of conversations about real world applications for this CEE STEM tool.  We will definitely need to seek additional funding for testing it out across multiple employment contexts as that isn't within the scope here.

Thanks for your response, Sam.  I agree, role models within their representative identities would be a huge boost for their social capital development.  Have you reached out to any of the STEM professional societies?  Most all of them have a focus on diversity and broadening participation, and might make a good connection for your students.  

That's a great suggestion, are there any in particular you recommend?

Sam, You could reach out to any of them to make a connection with their diversity programs.  I work with the Geology societies - to name a few: Geological Society of America, American Geophysical Union, American Geoscience Institute.  I am the Executive Director of the International Association for Geoscience Diversity (focused on students, faculty, and practitioners with disabilities).  I know Physics, Chem, and Bio, Engineering, Computing, all have a focus on diversity in some way.  I'd be happy to speak with you more about making connections if you and your team are interested [christopher.atchison@uc.edu].  

This is such a helpful model Healther.  This type of feedback is great for us.  Sam