LULAC’S 84TH NATIONAL CONVENTION AND EXPOSITION STEM EDUCATION: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR

SUCCESS

LPFI Mission

To eliminate barriers faced by underrepresented students of color in STEM and foster their untapped talent for the advance of our nation.

We do this through: STEM Education Programming: SMASH & SMASH

Prep Research and Evaluation

Latino Underrepresentation in STEM and Importance of STEM

Education In the U.S, there will be a demand for 2.4 Million

STEM jobs by 2018. Latinos represent just 6% of the entire U.S. science

and engineering workforce. Only 2% of Latinos have earned a Bachelor’s

degree in science or engineering. Between 2000 and 2010 the U.S. Latino population

increased by 43%.

Sources: Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce STEM State Level Analysis; National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations of U.S. Department of Education Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Completions Survey, 2010; U.S. Census 2010

Barriers Facing Latino Students in STEM Education

Latino underrepresentation in STEM can be linked to inequity in K-12 STEM education: Teacher quality Access to rigorous STEM coursework Access to labs, textbooks, resources Lack of STEM role models Lack of exposure to STEM careers and

opportunities At the undergraduate level:

Few connections to STEM peers of color and faculty of color

Lack of STEM role models

Summer Math and Science Honors Academy

5-week, 3-year STEM-focused summer residential program

For high-achieving underrepresented high school students of color.

Currently held on 4 college campuses in California (UC Berkeley, Stanford, USC, UCLA).

Prepares students academically through rigorous math, science, and STEM elective courses.

Provides college success classes to support students in applying for college, financial aid, and scholarships.

Counteracts barriers by exposure to diverse STEM role models and building diverse peer support networks in STEM.

SMASH Student Demographic Data

Currently serving ~500 students.51% Female, 49% Male

54% Latino 24% African-American15% Southeast Asian7% Multiple Response/Other

76% of current SMASH students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

78% of current SMASH students are 1st generation to go to college.

Evidence of Effectiveness

Academic year data indicate: 79% of SMASH students enroll in advanced math

and science courses at their schools during their senior year.

Alumni data indicate: 91% of graduates are enrolled in 4-year

universities (another 9% are enrolled in 2-year colleges).

67% of alumni declared STEM majors. By comparison, only 23% of all college freshmen declare STEM majors.

Source: U.S. Department of Education ,Education Dashboard: Percent Of Bachelor’s Degrees Conferred In STEM Fields, 2009

LPFI believes in linking direct service programs and research in order to: Understand the effectiveness of interventions Inform the continual improvement of STEM programming Expand the existing body of knowledge on improving

outcomes for underrepresented students in STEM Recent findings:

Students of color perceive both internal and external barriers to pursuing STEM in higher education, and girls of color perceive barriers to STEM at a much higher level than their male counterparts.

After a five-week summer introductory computer science course, high school students of color demonstrated a significant increase in computer science skills and computer science college and career aspirations.

Summary of Research

“My technology class had the biggest impact on me and I have learned that I have an interest in computer science.” -3rd year SMASH Berkeley student

“The greatest impact SMASH has had on me was my self-confidence in math. At school, I do not like to challenge myself and SMASH presented me with challenges and forced me to rise above.” -3rd year SMASH Stanford student

THANK YOU

Bianca Escalante, Development Directorbianca@lpfi.org

Jarvis Sulcer, Executive Directorjarvis@lpfi.org