Louisville, Kentucky
June 20, 2010
June 20, 2010
June 23, 2010
2153-5965
K-12 & Pre-College Engineering
14
15.641.1 - 15.641.14
10.18260/1-2--16346
https://peer.asee.org/16346
447
Hermanas: Diseña Tu Futuro Intel Corporation and Estrella Mountain Community College partner to increase Latinas in STEM
Introduction
Traditionally, minorities and women have comprised a low percentage in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering and technology. Even more alarming is the fact that Latinas are more likely than girls of any other ethnic group to drop out of high school, further decreasing their likelihood of attending college and pursuing careers in these fields. According to the National Science Foundation, only 20% of the engineering bachelor degrees earned in 2002 went to women. In 2002, only 6% of the engineering degrees were earned by Hispanic students. These figures have basically remained steady since 1995.
In an effort to address the growing issue of under-representation of Latinas in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), Estrella Mountain Community College and Intel Corporation collaborated to host a conference specifically aimed at closing the gender and diversity gap in the STEM fields. Estrella Mountain, a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI),
Corporation collaborates with educators in communities around the Valley to improve the quality of STEM education by providing commitments of time, programs and resources to help students realize their full potential.
Hosted by Estrella Mountain, the Hermanas conference has hosted over 900 Latinas from Central Phoenix and West Valley middle and high schools. The free one-day conference exposes participants to professional and personal development workshops and hands-on science activities conducted by a diverse group of Intel engineers, scientists and technologists. In addition, the conference provides a supportive environment where young women have the opportunity to interact with successful Latinas, explore technical careers and receive encouragement to finish school, attend college and pursue their educational and personal goals. Participants also focus on developing problem solving skills, teamwork and creativity through a series of interactive, hands-on workshops.1
Estrella Mountain Community College
Estrella Mountain Community College (Estrella Mountain) is one of the ten Maricopa County Community Colleges in the Phoenix area of Arizona. Estrella Mountain serves approximately 14,000+ annual enrollment which is a 21% increase over the last five years. growing student body is comprised of 29% full-time (71% part-time) students with more than 64% of the students fewer than 24 years of age. Many of the students are first generation, academically at risk and/or financially needy. Estrella Mountain is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the US Department of Education Title V Strengthening
Labrie Richardson, A., & Reyes, M., & Goodman, M. (2010, June), Hermanas: DiseÑa Tu Futuro: Intel Corporation And Estrella Mountain Community College Partner To Increase Latinas In Stem Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16346
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