An Online STEM Program for Gifted Students of Color Amidst COVID-19

Y

12

Online Courses; STEM Education; Academically Gifted; Gifted Education; Minority Group Students; COVID-19; Pandemics; High School Students; Workshops; Weekend Programs; Program Effectiveness; Student Attitudes; Knowledge Level; College Faculty; Graduate Students

2576-6767

There is a need to expand the pool of talented science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals who come from underrepresented backgrounds. The W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Institute's Accelerated Learning Academy (ALA), which operated as a three-weekend online STEM program in 2021, provided high-achieving tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders from underserved communities the opportunity to participate in interactive online STEM workshops within one of four ALA STEM tracks: Applied Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Technology, Medical Science or Biomedical Engineering and Technology. The weekend workshops consisted of STEM guest presentations, a combination of lecture and interactive group activities for practical application, and "New Thinking'' workshops to foster collaboration in exploring methods to address contemporary STEM issues. In this paper, I describe attributes of the ALA program that was configured for the online environment and the survey data reflecting students' responses to the program. Survey results showed a heightened awareness of STEM careers after participating in the workshops and an increase in STEM knowledge and skills. Furthermore, survey results indicated that students derived high value in the online workshops' curriculum, working with other participants, and learning from experienced STEM professionals.

As Provided

2024

EJ1407801