Hispanic Students as Environmental Scientists: Culturally Sustaining STEM Pathways Through Raíces y Ciencia

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 1:45 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Beyond Metrics: Servingness, Linguistic Justice, and Culturally Rooted Praxis in Higher Education

Abstract

This study examines how culturally and linguistically sustaining environmental STEM education (CLSE-STEM) fostered student agency and environmental consciousness among Hispanic/Latinx students in Rio Grande Valley border schools. Through qualitative analysis of the Raíces y Ciencia project's water quality investigations, the research explored how teachers integrated students' cultural and linguistic resources with environmental science learning. Data from conference panel presentations, educator surveys, and classroom artifacts revealed three key themes: linguistic border-crossing as scientific understanding pathways, connecting family knowledge to environmental justice advocacy, and positioning students as community researchers. Findings demonstrate that centering Hispanic students' cultural assets while addressing local water quality issues disrupted traditional STEM power dynamics and created authentic learning opportunities for borderland communities.

Author

• Uma Maheshwari Ganesan, University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley