Inspiring Young Minds: Translating Advanced STEM Technology for High School Students for College and Workforce Readiness within the GEMS Programs

Gabriella Marie Luna; Stephanie Gray; Michael Frye

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Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: Scaling Impactful Pre-College STEM + C Programs: Lessons from Transportation, Technology, and Engineering Camps
Tagged Division: Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 23
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/56809

Paper Authors

biography

Gabriella Marie Luna University of The Incarnate Word, GEMS Program

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Gabriella Luna is an undergraduate student studying Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Mechatronics at the University of the Incarnate Word. She conducts research in the Autonomous Vehicles and Systems (AVS) Lab and was awarded the UIW MSE Department’s Excellence in Engineering Research Award. Gabriella is a core member of the QCardinals autonomous vehicle competition team, which earned the highest undergraduate team ranking in the 2024 international ACC Quanser QCar competition and continues to compete in ongoing challenges. She is also a dedicated STEM advocate, serving as a counselor for the GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science) summer program. In addition to her academic and research pursuits, Gabriella is an NCAA Division I swimmer and is fluent in both English and Spanish.

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biography

Stephanie Gray University of the Incarnate Word

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Stephanie Weiss-Lopez has overseen GEMS since 2020 as a Project Manager and Coordinator. Ms. Weiss-Lopez is a UIW alum with a degree in Meteorology, currently the AVS Laboratories Project Manager, and an MBA student at UIW. She has over 18 years of management and leadership experience and has been a member of the AVS labs since 2018. Ms. Weiss-Lopez has experience in personnel development, scientific research, and grant writing. During Ms. Weiss-Lopez's leadership GEMS implemented and distributed over 450 free STEAM kits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Weiss-Lopez's partnership with the PI expanded innovative programs such as megaGEMS Virtual Research camp, miniGEMS virtual after school clubs, miniGEMS virtual Spring Break camp, and the megaGEMS AEOP Apprenticeship.

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Michael Frye University of the Incarnate Word

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Michael Frye, Ph.D. is a Professor of Engineering in the Department of Engineering at the University of the Incarnate Word, in San Antonio, TX. He is an Electrical Engineer who specializes in the field of nonlinear control theory.

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Abstract

(Blank) is a project-based Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program that encourages and empowers the next generation of females to pursue STEM pathways in education to a STEM career. (Blank) after-school and summer programs are designed to educate young women by providing hands-on experiential learning in robotics, programming, and research. (Blank) consists of two key programs: (Blank), designed for rising fifth to eighth graders, emphasizing in robotics through LEGOS and innovative STEM curricula, and (Blank), aimed at rising ninth to twelfth graders, focuses on independent scientific research.

Each (Blank) student explores and investigates hands-on lab experience in the science of autonomy through ground and air robotics, aiding the students in acquiring important skills essential to obtaining college-level degrees and readiness for workforce development. (Blank) equitable practices offer engineering and computer science opportunities to underserved communities predominately serving Title I schools, rural, and students from low-income areas of (Blank) addressing the lack of resources for marginalized groups.

This paper will discuss the (Blank) held during the summer of 2024 and how higher-level research technologies can be taken in by an undergraduate engineering student and then translated to a level at which high school students with no prior knowledge can understand. The ultimate goal was to have high school students understand and be able to use advanced technologies and produce results for a personal project to be presented at a symposium. To reach the goal, the students had to gain an understanding of Simulink/MATLAB software, the controls of the robotic arms, how to program the arm to follow a path, and lastly how color binary works. After the students are given all the background to the software and hardware the students then create their binary and put it into action. With the guidance of counselors and staff, the students absorb brand new information, perform their research, put into practice new skills, and ultimately produce legitimate results.

This paper will provide details about the STEM program method for implementing upper-level academic research technology into high school research summer camps.

Citation
Format

Luna, G. M., & Gray, S., & Frye, M. (2025, June), Inspiring Young Minds: Translating Advanced STEM Technology for High School Students for College and Workforce Readiness within the GEMS Programs Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/56809

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - (Blank) is a project-based Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program that encourages and empowers the next generation of females to pursue STEM pathways in education to a STEM career. (Blank) after-school and summer programs are designed to educate young women by providing hands-on experiential learning in robotics, programming, and research. (Blank) consists of two key programs: (Blank), designed for rising fifth to eighth graders, emphasizing in robotics through LEGOS and innovative STEM curricula, and (Blank), aimed at rising ninth to twelfth graders, focuses on independent scientific research.

Each (Blank) student explores and investigates hands-on lab experience in the science of autonomy through ground and air robotics, aiding the students in acquiring important skills essential to obtaining college-level degrees and readiness for workforce development. (Blank) equitable practices offer engineering and computer science opportunities to underserved communities predominately serving Title I schools, rural, and students from low-income areas of (Blank) addressing the lack of resources for marginalized groups.

This paper will discuss the (Blank) held during the summer of 2024 and how higher-level research technologies can be taken in by an undergraduate engineering student and then translated to a level at which high school students with no prior knowledge can understand. The ultimate goal was to have high school students understand and be able to use advanced technologies and produce results for a personal project to be presented at a symposium. To reach the goal, the students had to gain an understanding of Simulink/MATLAB software, the controls of the robotic arms, how to program the arm to follow a path, and lastly how color binary works. After the students are given all the background to the software and hardware the students then create their binary and put it into action. With the guidance of counselors and staff, the students absorb brand new information, perform their research, put into practice new skills, and ultimately produce legitimate results. 

This paper will provide details about the STEM program method for implementing upper-level academic research technology into high school research summer camps.

AU  - Gabriella Marie Luna
AU  - Stephanie Gray
AU  - Michael Frye
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Inspiring Young Minds: Translating Advanced STEM Technology for High School Students for College and Workforce Readiness within the GEMS Programs 
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/56809
ER  -