PMSA-9453869 Denver Public Schools Denver, CO Stein, Fredrick, Leroy Lopez, John Rael, Elizabeth Biggs and Rod Cornish "Minority Initiative for Denver Schools (MINDS)" The Denver Public Schools, in partnership with Colorado State University, and CMEA/MESA (Colorado Minority Engineering Association/Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement), proposes a five-year program of academic-year and summer enrichment activities which will improve minority student achievement in grades 7-12 in the Denver Public Schools. The overall goal of the Minority Initiative for Denver Schools (MINDS) is to significantly increase the number of Denver minority underrepresented students who enter science, engineering, and mathematics (SEM) careers. The goals of this project will be achieved through a four-component strategy consisting of: (1) recruitment of minority students into the MINDS program beginning in the seventh grade and continuing through high school graduation; (2) the retention of students in the MINDS program through newly-designed academic-year and summer courses based on the Small-Scale approach in science and the Interactive approach in mathematics which show shy SEM is useful to them as individuals; (3) the expansion of existing district-wide, school-site MESA/DEEP activities consisting of motivational, project-centered, thematic, hands-on and mentoring activities (MINDS will prepare increasing numbers of minority students for the MESA/DEEP program); and (4) a concurrent staff development program to create MINDS science and mathematics teacher-leaders to deliver the above courses and activities and to explore the unexplored roles of minorities in science, engineering and mathematics.
