Hi there! My name is Linnea and I am a PhD Candidate in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a member of the STEM TIG, I’m excited to share with you all a bit about a project I helped direct and our evaluation approach.
The Short-Term Research Experience Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP) is funded by the NIH and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to support historically underrepresented students interested in STEM and medical research professions. STEP-UP hosts an annual summer program for 11th and 12th graders as well as undergraduates.
In Fall 2020, I was hired by the University of Wisconsin-Madison coordinating center (PI: Dr. Carolee Dodge Francis, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) to serve as the Project Assistant on a new pilot, funded by a supplemental NIDDK grant. This pilot expanded the high school program to specifically reach American Indian/Alaska Native 9th and 10th graders. The pilot utilized a culturally responsive curriculum. Lessons and activities focused on type 2 diabetes in Native/Indigenous communities and discussed the role of traditional foods in encouraging healthier diets and lifestyles. The Pilot took place in February 2021, and because of pandemic restrictions, students met virtually for 6 weeks.
We had 15 students from start to finish: nine identified as girls, half were living on a reservation, and 11 were doing virtual school at the time of the program. Three American Indian undergraduates (alumni from the STEP-UP high school program!) served as mentors. Each student and mentor received a stipend for their participation. Across mentors, staff, and students, we had four time zones represented.
Hot Tip
We used a conceptual framework for both curriculum development and evaluation to allow for continuity, connections, and comparisons as we analyzed our results (see image below!). To evaluate the Pilot, we used a pre and post test to see if participation positively shifted students’ attitudes about science. We kept the surveys brief to encourage student completion and used validated measures from similar pipeline programs. We hosted regular debriefs with mentors to check in about how communication could be improved and how students were progressing through the activities. Since mentors were closest to the students, their input was pivotal to making necessary adaptations in the virtual setting. Our end-of-pilot mentor debrief was recorded and analyzed for themes so that we could write up a guide of lessons learned.
We found that students not only enjoyed the STEP-UP Pilot but most reported that they were likely to pursue the STEP-UP high school program. We saw an increase in perceptions of science usefulness, interest, and enjoyment, and students generally believed that what they learned in the Pilot would be useful for their futures. Mentors noticed that in breakout rooms students were more engaged; for this reason, we decided to conduct activities in small groups rather than individually.
Lessons Learned
Our evaluation approach allowed us to tell a story about the STEP-UP Pilot, both its lessons and promise. Even in a small sample, our findings suggest exposure to culturally responsive conversations and mentor relationships early in high school may be a turning point for students who would otherwise be isolated from these opportunities. This exposure can validate that scientists and researchers can come from all places and creeds, that one’s cultural practices are valuable and valued, and that all students can belong in STEM.
If you’d like to learn more about the STEP-UP 9th and 10th grade Pilot or our evaluation, please contact me at hjelm@wisc.edu!
The American Evaluation Association is hosting STEM Education and Training TIG Week with our colleagues in the STEM Education and Training Topical Interest Group. The contributions all this week to AEA365 come from our STEM TIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this AEA365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the AEA365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an AEA365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to AEA365@eval.org. AEA365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. The views and opinions expressed on the AEA365 blog are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the American Evaluation Association, and/or any/all contributors to this site.