"Cultivating STEM Resilience: The Power of STEM Mentoring Clubs on the Future STEM Workforce"

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

STARBASE ROBINS

First Presenter’s Email Address

wesley@starbaserobins.org

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Wesley Fondal, Jr. is the Executive Director of DoD STARBASE ROBINS. DoD STARBASE is a premiere science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educational program. He has helped to expose youth to the technological environments and positive role models found on military bases and installations and helped in making sure that students get exemplary instruction using a common core curriculum that meets or exceeds the National Standards. He has also helped in nurturing a winning network of collaborators and building mutual loyalty. In his sixteen years as Director, he has increased funding to the program as well as increased the number of students from area school districts attending the program. STARBASE ROBINS has programming that increases the knowledge and interest in STEM careers and fields of study to students in grades 4th – 8th grade. It is the only program in the Middle Georgia Area that offers computer aided design and three dimensional modeling with 4th and 5th graders. Mr. Fondal is a graduate of Dillard University where he received his B.S. in Biology. He received his Master’s Degree in Cell Biology from the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX and attended the University of Missouri for graduate studies and research in the field of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Wesley Fondal also served in the U.S. Army Reserves and has a short teaching history in public education. He is currently a Doctoral Candidate at Troy University in the field of Global Leadership.

Second Presenter's Institution

STARBASE ROBINS

Second Presenter’s Email Address

andrew@starbaserobins.org

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Andrew Dennis is the STARBASE 2.0 Coodinator, a STEM mentoring program that provides students with hands-on activities and opportunities to interact with STEM professionals. Andrew has over 10 years of experience in the STEM education field, and he is passionate about inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders. Andrew is a graduate of the Ft. Valley State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work. Andrew started as a STARBASE ROBINS Program Instructor and latere became the STARBASE 2.0 Coordinator. t Andrew is a strong advocate for STEM education, and he believes that all students deserve the opportunity to learn about STEM and to explore their interests in these fields. He is also committed to diversifying the STEM workforce, and he is proud of his work at STARBASE ROBINS in playing a pivotal role in support underrepresented students in STEM.

Location

Session Eight

Strand #1

Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership

Strand #2

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Relevance

"Cultivating STEM Resilience: The Power of STEM Mentoring Clubs on the Future STEM Workforce" aligns with both the Academic Achievement and School Leadership strand and the Social and Emotional Skills strand. This proposal extends middle school students' learning beyond the regular school hours, contributing to academic success and the preparation of a STEM-literate workforce, making it a strong fit for the Academic strand. Additionally, the mentoring aspect enhances students' social and emotional skills, further emphasizing its alignment with the Social and Emotional strand.

Brief Program Description

"Cultivating STEM Resilience: The Power of STEM Mentoring Clubs on the Future STEM Workforce" addresses a pressing engineering challenge faced by companies today—cultivating passion, drive, and innovation within the future STEM workforce. STARBASE 2.0 Afterschool STEM Mentoring Clubs, focusing on middle school students, play a vital role in nurturing this workforce. This proposal will showcase the effective mechanics of establishing an afterschool STEM mentoring club, crucial for fostering resilience and shaping future STEM leaders."

Summary

"In the context of 'Cultivating STEM Resilience: The Power of STEM Mentoring Clubs on the Future STEM Workforce," we address a pressing engineering challenge faced by companies today. This challenge extends beyond the traditional realms of STEM, focusing on igniting passion, fostering determination, and nurturing innovation within our future STEM workforce.

While we recognize the existence of a STEM pipeline, we emphasize the critical need for its continuous supply and maintenance to ensure optimal production and outcomes. The imminent demand for STEM workers, accompanied by the prospect of lucrative opportunities, underscores the urgency of our mission.

Afterschool programs, such as STARBASE 2.0 Afterschool STEM Mentoring Clubs, are pivotal in the development of our future STEM workforce. These STEM mentorship programs not only expose students to real-world challenges that sharpen their STEM skills but also provide opportunities to cultivate essential soft skills highly valued by organizations, such as written communication, team collaboration, and leadership.

Moreover, STARBASE 2.0 contributes to diversifying the STEM pipeline, allowing underrepresented students to engage with mentors who share theiri interests in STEM. The afterschool and out-of-school-time setting enhances students' focus on challenges and encourages creativity and innovation.

Our presentation will delve into the mechanics of establishing team-based STEM mentoring clubs and explore effective activities that reinforce the engineering design process. Additionally, we will showcase hands-on activities from our afterschool clubs. We will analyze the demographics of both the clubs and the mentors, highlighting the potential for transformative change within the STEM pipeline, as well as look at some of the challenges in executing such a program.

Evidence

The article titled "Developing Students’ 21st Century Skills in STEM Mentor-Mentee Outreach Programs" by Nyet Moi Siew discusses the development of a STEM Mentor-Mentee outreach program in response to the challenge of declining STEM enrollments in Malaysia, particularly in rural areas like Sabah. The program was found to be effective in developing creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills among rural secondary school students.

This article provides evidence of the positive impact of a STEM Mentor-Mentee outreach program on students' 21st-century skills, which aligns with the goals of STEM mentoring afterschool programs. It highlights the importance of connecting STEM education to real-world contexts and leveraging mentorship to enhance students' skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork.

Siew, N. M. (2021). DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ 21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN STEM MENTOR-MENTEE OUTREACH PROGRAMS. In SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION: DEVELOPING A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE. Proceedings of the 4th Internat. Baltic Symposium on Science and Education, Šiauliai, 21–22 June, 2021 (pp. 166-179). Scientia Socialis, UAB.

Learning Objective 1

Learn about STEM mentoring program.

Learning Objective 2

Learn about the challenges in implementing a STEM mentoring program.

Learning Objective 3

NA

Keyword Descriptors

STEM, mentoring, STEM workforce

Presentation Year

2024

Start Date

3-6-2024 9:15 AM

End Date

3-6-2024 9:45 AM

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Mar 6th, 9:15 AM Mar 6th, 9:45 AM

"Cultivating STEM Resilience: The Power of STEM Mentoring Clubs on the Future STEM Workforce"

Session Eight

"Cultivating STEM Resilience: The Power of STEM Mentoring Clubs on the Future STEM Workforce" addresses a pressing engineering challenge faced by companies today—cultivating passion, drive, and innovation within the future STEM workforce. STARBASE 2.0 Afterschool STEM Mentoring Clubs, focusing on middle school students, play a vital role in nurturing this workforce. This proposal will showcase the effective mechanics of establishing an afterschool STEM mentoring club, crucial for fostering resilience and shaping future STEM leaders."