Tenth grade students in high schools in Nashville, Tennessee choose among four to seven career academies. Despite a needs analysis that demonstrates the several occupations in Nashville require a STEM background, the results of a survey show that most students are choosing arts and communications career academies rather than STEM-related ones. A comprehensive set of partners led by Alignment Nashville, an organization that works out of the mayor's office to connect community organizations to schools, provides an ITEST strategies project to increase interest in STEM-related careers especially for 200 eighth grade girls from underrepresented and disadvantaged populations and their teachers. Using their existing knowledge and interest, students increase their understanding of how their skills can be used in STEM-related careers by creating 3D computer models, using tools such as AutoCAD and Alice. Students can watch the construction of the model using the rapid prototyping facilities of Tennessee Technical University via Internet. A four week summer camp at Nashville State Community College, using the Ford PAS curriculum maintains the students' interest and prepares them for the career academy. The mathematics and science teachers of the targeted audience participate in professional development activities to increase their ability to 3D modeling and connect rapid prototyping to their content areas. Additionally, local college students serving as Girl Scout Leaders in underserved areas of Nashville work with students in the after school activities and summer camps and receive professional development. The evaluation identifies strategies and tactics that are effective in increasing the interest and understanding of the students and teachers in STEM-related careers.
From Art to STEM - A Creative Journey of Discovery was designed by Alignment Nashville and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) to address the challenge of heightening the awareness, interest and commitment of middle school girls in enrolling in MNPS STEM-related Academies as an option for their high school experience. Prior to From Art to STEM (A2S), an interest survey of freshmen revealed little interest among girls in STEM (3.3%), but there was a significant attraction to the creative arts. Thus the challenge for A2S was to tap into this interest to create an awareness and interest in STEM through the creative and design aspects shared by art and STEM-related careers. It was important to create this awareness and interest while still in middle school so that more girls would be prepared to choose STEM-related academies as the context for their high school experience and preparation for post-secondary education and careers. By the conclusion of the grant, the first cohort of girls had made their academy selections at the end of ninth grade, and 35% of them elected to enroll in such an academy. Subsequently, 46% of the second cohort elected to enroll in a STEM-related academy in high school. A2S was organized as a network of after-school clubs hosted at middle schools across a variety of different socio-economic and cultural communities. Each club had a team of "coaches" from the faculty of the hosting middle school and its zoned high school, in addition to mentors from area business and higher education. Growth from seven clubs in 2009/10, to eight in 2010/11, and finally to nine clubs in 2011/12 was the result of increased interest and involvement in this project across MNPS and the Nashville community. Cohort growth coincided with growth in the number of clubs, expanding from 173 participants in Cohort 1, to 201 in Cohort 2, to finally 253 participants in Cohort 3. A variety of instruments and focus groups tracked the participants’ change in interest and perception of STEM disciplines and STEM-related careers as well as their sense of self-efficacy in pursuing such endeavors. Growing from this affirming and supportive environment, there were often reports that changes in interest and commitment extended beyond A2S and STEM to changes in the participants’ overall academic goals and performance. Nashville’s Adventure Science Center and Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee provided organizational and operational support. The framework for engaging the girls in informal learning and real-world experiences included twice-monthly afterschool club meetings, field trips to area businesses and institutions, and a week-long residential summer camp on a local university campus for a limited number of cohort participants. During the camp, an essential question provided the context for a capstone project that built on the experiences of the prior year. Beyond planning and conducting the after-school club meetings and summer camps, the MNPS teachers engaged in A2S received professional development in approaches to informal and experiential teaching and learning, as well as the use of computer-based design and modeling tools for their instruction. Stepping out of their more traditional classroom roles, the teachers had an opportunity during the club meetings to know and interact with their students in an informal, supportive environment. These activities opened a window into the kind of teaching and learning envisioned for the entire school district. More than 50 businesses, institutions and organizations in the Nashville area contributed resources to the success of A2S and were engaged in the program in multiple ways. These resources included personnel time, financial contributions, event organization and hosting, presentations and hosting of field trips. While making a material contribution to the success of A2S, these businesses and organizations also gained a deeper understanding of the potential of these girls and the positive impact they could have on the area’s businesses and economic vitality by successfully pursuing STEM education and career pathways. New and deeper commitments to ongoing work with the school district resulted from this heightened recognition and understanding. A2S also provided enhanced STEM awareness for the girls’ family members, many of whom had little knowledge of opportunities for post-secondary education and careers in STEM. By engaging the girl’s families in periodic showcases of the progress and results of this project, families’ understanding of overall opportunities for educational attainment and careers also grew.
