This proposal describes a Track 1 project that recognizes that middle school students are at an age when they lose a sense of scientific curiosity and excitement (National Research Council, 2003). The student foci of the project will be 1) to engage students in hands-on interdisciplinary science activities to spur their excitement in scientific exploration and 2) through the GK-12 fellows, to provide the middle school students with scientific role models from backgrounds similar to their own. The graduate fellow focus of the program will be to provide graduate students in STEM disciplines with opportunities to improve skills in communication and pedagogy for diverse audiences. The aim of the Howard University GK-12 program: Interdisciplinary Science for Middle Schools (ISMS) will be to expose GK-12 fellows, teachers, and students to new perspectives and skills in STEM fields, and to create new opportunities in STEM fields for all participants. This project is a joint effort of Howard University Graduate School and two Washington, DC public charter middle schools, the Howard University Public Charter Middle School for Math and Science and the Cesar Chavez Public Charter Middle School for Public Policy. The Howard B. Owens Science Center in Prince George's County, MD, will also be a partner.
