Promoting DoN STEM Careers via STEM Educational Activities. ONR White Paper Tracking Number: 20-000000666
Abstract
The proposed effort represents an innovative solution to cultivate a diverse, world-class STEM workforce and maintain the Department of the Navys (DoN) technical superiority. Students will be encouraged to pursue careers in science and technology, particularly in the DoN Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce, through interactions with the activities developed and nav al STEM workforce personnel. Pedagogical techniques that focus on the values and life goals of diverse students will enhance these i nteractions effectiveness. STEM activities that highlight the positive impacts of naval careers on American and global society will be developed that leverage generation Zs desire to make a difference in their community. The effort will improve students STEM skills and increase their interest in DoN STEM career pathways. The activities will each relate the STEM content to significant DoN technical challenges. Engaging students by focusing on the significant challenges that STEM can eventually solve captures students imagination and motivates them to study science and math with a purpose.By connecting learning to community impacts, the lessons a re more culturally relevant, allowing students from minority racial or linguistic backgrounds to benefit from activities related to their personal experience and values. This effort is particularly important in the Black Belt region of Alabama, a landlocked reg ion with no nearby naval bases or DoN presence. For many of these students, the activities developed in this effort will be their fi rst, and perhaps only, exposure to DoN STEM career opportunities. Targeting these students and focusing on the inspire and engage po rtions of the Naval STEM strategy will significantly impact the future DoN STEM workforces diversity. Activities will be designed i n conjunction with area teachers, ensuring that they meet identified needs in area classrooms, address state STEM learning objective s, and immediately impact the collaborating teachers classes. The activities will be designed to be used in classroom settings and easily ported to remote learning settings and informal STEM spaces. While the pandemic has revealed a need for more quality activit ies that students can access from home, these needs are not limited to the present circumstances. Natural disasters can result in mo difications to school settings for periods of weeks or months. Thus, the activities will be designed with remote learners in mind; l ow cost, disposable materials will be options for homebound students. Several of the activities developed will be virtual and design ed to be explored on sma mmunity events, such as fairs and festivals. These events engage a diverse, multigenerational audience, including participants who d o not see themselves as a science person. Using the activities at such events will reach a broad, diverse audience, maximizing the efforts impact. Using dissemination paths such as the Science in Motion program, which provides free and low-cost STEM education resources to Alabama schools, will further enhance the broad adoption of the activities and the projects impact. Leveraging existi ng infrastructure reduces the cost of adoption by more impoverished schools maximizing the projects long-term impact. Auburn and Un of the importance of STEM to the DoN and DoN STEM career pathways. They will interact with students through in-person and virtual v isits to classrooms and engage visitors to the activity booths at community events. Through DoN relevant STEM activities, this proje ct will cultivate a diverse, world-class STEM workforce interested in DoN STEM careers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 20, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112736
Entities
People
- Edward W Davis
Organizations
- Auburn University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy