Women and non-white racial and ethnic groups remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). To achieve a more diverse and equitable STEM workforce, the recruitment and retention of these historically marginalized communities in postsecondary education will also need to increase. Recently, the lens has turned to…

The planet Mercury transited the face of the Sun in a rare spectacle on 11 November 2019. It was an awe-inspiring moment for 300 students from Kwabenya Community High School and Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Basic School in Ghana to see this wonder of the cosmos. Celestron Power Seeker 60 mm diameter telescopes were used to project the Sun's…

This paper explores how public and student engagement with NASA's Lucy Mission--targeting the Jupiter Trojan asteroids affects informal science learning, interest in planetary science, and youth engagement with space-related careers. Through a mixed-methods study including surveys, observational data, and analysis of public outreach campaigns, we…

Health professions outreach programs are important avenues to increase interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). One aspect of many of these programs is anatomy, which can be challenging to teach due to its scope. Creative teaching methods, such as the incorporation of examples from pop culture, can help…

This paper aims at highlighting initiatives in developing future statisticians directed at high-school and university levels in Niger. More specifically, it focuses on collaborations, partnerships, outreach initiatives and supporting mechanisms, which may contribute to increase engagement and interest in and attraction to the field of statistics…

This study explores the underrepresentation of Black and Latinx students in California's community college Dual Enrollment (DE) programs. The study investigates how DE staff describe an understanding and commitment towards equity for Black and Latinx students in DE programs and how staff engage in equitably aimed praxis to serve Black and Latinx…

The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate University and High School collaboration through a Service Learning exercise. Pedagogical collaboration between the local Prescott High School and senior level mechanical engineering students from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Arizona had great benefits to both schools and the students.…

Since 2017 the Italian Space Agency (ASI) participates to so-called 'Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro' (i.e. 'school-work synergy') outreach projects promoted by the Italian government, and the ASI Space Science Data Center (SSDC) actively contributes to them, with the primary aim of bringing students closer to space-related activities before choosing…

Districts are scrambling to address climate change performance expectations in the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS). On the flipside, such questions offer vital opportunities to ignite change and give students agency regarding climate literacy and resiliency in the high school classroom. A cohort of science teachers from Denver…

The present study investigated outreach activities, developed by STEM-based companies or universities in co-creation with secondary education with the aim to inform students about and motivate them for a career in STEM by connecting the work-context with school-science. Although many of such activities are being offered, little is known about…

There is no question that Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) education is critical to the future of our students and workforce. As technology advances, computer programming skills are becoming a necessity in almost all fields. However, teaching programming and other advanced technologies is very difficult, especially in…

This dissertation explored the roles schools can play in the successful outcomes of large carnivore or keystone reintroduction projects. Schools are more than centers for knowledge acquisition--they connect their community and disseminate information quickly to a wide audience. This study took place in California's Eastern Sierra Nevada, a…

In a nation and political climate where models of communication and respect for another's ideas are difficult to find, the authors take seriously their charge to support educational practices that prepare students to critically engage in a free and democratic society. As part of a summer high school outreach program, they sought to develop a…

Three-dimensional (3D) nuclear charts were created using toy blocks, which represent the atomic masses per nucleon number and the total half-lives for each nucleus in the entire region of the nuclear mass. The bulk properties of the nuclei can be easily understood by using these charts. Subsequently, these charts were used in outreach activities…

The effect of hands-on laboratory activities on secondary student learning was examined. Assessment was conducted over a two-year period, with 262 students participating the first year and 264 students the second year. Students took a prequiz, performed a laboratory activity (gas chromatography of alcohols, or photosynthesis and respiration), and…