Performing Department
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Non Technical Summary
In alignment with CYFAR goals and priorities, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Sustainable Community Project: M-TECH Nebraska seeks to help at-risk youth demonstrate knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for leading filling and contributing lives. This project will give 4th and 5th grade youth an opportunity to participate in weekly informal science activities conducted in 4-H programming. The project will incorporate the WearTec wearable technology curriculum and align Next Generation Science Standards with STEM activities. Six high school youth per semester, recruited from Grand Island Senior High School, will aid in the teaching of the elementary students during afterschool hours. Each year, 60 youth at Howard and Dodge Elementary Schools will participate in the program with 240 participants reached during the grant. The goals of M-TECH are that youth will (1) demonstrate engagement, resilience, and life skills as measured by required CYFAR common measures; (2) strengthen science identity as measured by science interest, recognition, competence, self-concept, and reflected appraisal; and (3) increase social capital as measured through the perceived quality of connections with near-peer mentors and raise the awareness of STEM opportunities among their families, who will provide an environment that supports post-secondary education leading to STEM careers. In addition, teen mentors will increase confidence in science communication and mentoring skills, and children and their families will increase knowledge about STEM career pathways, especially in the agricultural sciences. Ultimately, M-TECH Nebraska aims to inspire and empower youth to pursue a wide range of STEM and agricultural technology degrees and careers.
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
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Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of M-TECH Nebraska is to immerse 4th and 5th students from two predominately Hispanic Title I elementary schools in cutting-edge afterschool STEM programming at the interface of real-world problem-solving and engineering design.Short-term goals include:Youth will: demonstrate engagement, resilience, and life skills as measured by required CYFAR common measures andstrengthen science identity as measured by science interest, recognition, competence, self-concept, and reflected appraisal.Medium-term goalsinclude:Youth will increase social capital as measured through perceived quality of connections with near-peer mentors.Teen mentors will increase confidence in science communication and mentoring skills.long-term goal includes:Children and their families will increase knowledge about STEM career pathways.
Project Methods
The project team, along with community partners from Grand Island Public Schools (GIPS) and Hall County Extension, will iteratively engage with youth and their families to co-collaborate in program development to best meet their needs.Recognizing these needs, the overall goal of M-TECH Nebraska is to immerse 4th and 5th students from two predominately Hispanic Title I elementary schools in cutting-edge afterschool STEM programming at the interface of real-world problem-solving and engineering design. Experiential learning will use the peer-reviewed WearTec 4-H curriculum authored by Dr. Brad Barker, M- TECHtechonology specialist, which is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and incorporates engineering principles. Specifically, learning activities will include wearable technology, i.e., electronic textiles or electronic accessories that can be worn, such as watches, eyeglasses, or clothing that contain electronics and a computation device.To implement the program M-TECH will utliize the near-peer programming model. High school students will be recruited from GIPS' Career Academies - a mentored educational experience designed to position students for future degrees and careers in a wide variety of fields - to serve as near-peer mentors for elementary-age youth, alongside the site leader. Prior to the afterschool programming, Nebraska (NE) 4-H Youth Development will train high school mentors on facilitating learning in informal settings, teaching STEM content, and implementing the WearTec 4-H curriculum while engaging with the elementary-age youth. This near-peer mentoring program model will provide exceptional role models and mentors to 4-5th grade students while simultaneously equipping high school students with the leadership and communication skills needed to succeed after graduation.Youth will participate in a60-minute afterschool program twice a week for 15-weeks on location at their elementary schools.