Diversity Trends in STEM Summer Camps Over the Last Two Decades

Amani Qasrawi; Tulio Sulbaran; Sandeep Langar

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Navigating Diversity and Equity in STEM Education
Tagged Division: Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47198

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He received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineer from Georgia Institute of Technology with concentration in Construction Management with a minor in Computer Engineering and strong statistical background. He has over 8 years of work experience in the A/E/C (Archite

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Sandeep Langar The University of Texas at San Antonio orcid.org/0000-0001-7955-1646

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Dr. Sandeep Langar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Construction Science in College of Architecture, Construction, and Planning at The University of Texas at San Antonio. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning from the Co

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Abstract

Abstract Student proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects is a significant concern among agencies nationwide. A reported decrease in student proficiency levels as students progress through school impacts the ability to meet the market demand for qualified engineers and specialists. Further, some STEM fields have diversity issues, with lower participation from women and underrepresented minorities due to numerous reasons. STEM Summer Camps can alleviate this concern by exposing participants from diverse backgrounds to the topical areas, encouraging participating students to pursue STEM-based careers, and helping the nation meet the need for a STEM-focused workforce. Thus, given the need to ensure a diverse set of student participants in summer camps, including women and underrepresented minorities, and the ability of Summer Camps to alleviate the problem, this research determines the diversity of STEM summer camp attendees in the US over two decades. The three-staged research included sample selection, parameter development, and descriptive statistical analysis. Sample selection was dictated by factors such as the ASEE article and publication date (in twenty years). Parameter development included identifying five parameters, "population, race, gender, age, and targeted population," as they are integral for obtaining insights into the summer camp attendee diversity. The research presents the findings of a meta-analysis of ASEE articles published from 1998-2017 that influenced 1,795 students. Although some of the summer camps targeted minorities, most did not meet their target. The preliminary analysis of the compiled data indicates that the STEM-based summer camps influenced more than 1,700 students. The preliminary results also indicate limited minority participation (gender and race), with most participants demonstrating positive feedback and interest in pursuing STEM. These findings are significant as they help facilitate enhanced participation from minorities in the STEM fields both in education and as a possible career choice, and in the process, contribute towards solving the problem of limited high-quality workforce in these fields.

Keywords STEM summer camp, metanalysis, minority and low-income students, participant gender and race

Citation
Format

Qasrawi, A., & Sulbaran, T., & Langar, S. (2024, June), Diversity Trends in STEM Summer Camps Over the Last Two Decades Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47198

TY - CPAPER
AB - Abstract
Student proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects is a significant concern among agencies nationwide. A reported decrease in student proficiency levels as students progress through school impacts the ability to meet the market demand for qualified engineers and specialists. Further, some STEM fields have diversity issues, with lower participation from women and underrepresented minorities due to numerous reasons. STEM Summer Camps can alleviate this concern by exposing participants from diverse backgrounds to the topical areas, encouraging participating students to pursue STEM-based careers, and helping the nation meet the need for a STEM-focused workforce. Thus, given the need to ensure a diverse set of student participants in summer camps, including women and underrepresented minorities, and the ability of Summer Camps to alleviate the problem, this research determines the diversity of STEM summer camp attendees in the US over two decades. The three-staged research included sample selection, parameter development, and descriptive statistical analysis. Sample selection was dictated by factors such as the ASEE article and publication date (in twenty years). Parameter development included identifying five parameters, &quot;population, race, gender, age, and targeted population,&quot; as they are integral for obtaining insights into the summer camp attendee diversity. The research presents the findings of a meta-analysis of ASEE articles published from 1998-2017 that influenced 1,795 students. Although some of the summer camps targeted minorities, most did not meet their target. The preliminary analysis of the compiled data indicates that the STEM-based summer camps influenced more than 1,700 students. The preliminary results also indicate limited minority participation (gender and race), with most participants demonstrating positive feedback and interest in pursuing STEM. These findings are significant as they help facilitate enhanced participation from minorities in the STEM fields both in education and as a possible career choice, and in the process, contribute towards solving the problem of limited high-quality workforce in these fields.

Keywords
STEM summer camp, metanalysis, minority and low-income students, participant gender and race
AU - Amani Qasrawi
AU - Tulio Sulbaran
AU - Sandeep Langar
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Diversity Trends in STEM Summer Camps Over the Last Two Decades
UR - https://peer.asee.org/47198
ER -