The Benefits of a Science Support Program for Low-Income Latina/o Students

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: Summer Learning, STEM, and Expanding the School Day: Strategies for Supporting Academic Achievement in Out-of-School Time

Abstract

Latina/os are underrepresented in STEM fields (National Science Foundation, 2010). STEM support programs may increase the number of Latina/o students who enter the STEM pipeline (Afterschool Alliance, 2011). One-on-one, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 39 participants who were involved in a science support program to investigate the following research questions: 1) What are the benefits of a science support program for Latina/o youth? And 2) what are the program activities that are related to these benefits? Results revealed five groups of beneficial outcomes and the activities that were related to these outcomes. The results of this study extend the literature on STEM programs and provide a nuanced understanding of how these programs yield positive outcomes for Latina/o youth.

Authors

• Alison L Mroczkowski, Museum of Science and Industry - Chicago

• Bernadette Sanchez, DePaul University

• Hector Rasgado-Flores