How I (Tech) will help change the face of Technology via inner-city STEM programs.

When I was applying to grad schools two years ago, I had no idea what I was in for. I was asked to write an article about why I wanted to attend Georgetown University and how McDonough's MBA program would make a difference in my life? It was a simple question; I looked no further than my community in South Central Los Angeles. One of my favorite quotes by Ermias Asghedom says, "The greatest human act is to inspire." I answered the question using the words of my idle, and South Central icon Ermais always echoed.

This program will enable me to inspire and change lives through my vision and love for STEM programs in underrepresented communities like South Central. This article will cover five reasons why most inner-city students don't have access to STEM and how I'll use my platform to inspire and bring change for the next generation of STEM professionals. Please follow my non-profit Itech on Facebook @ Itech and Instagram at Itech24x8, and please visit our website to see how you can get involved. www.itech0.com.

1. Promote Advanced Math and Science Courses in High School

One way in which urban youths miss the mark when applying to college is by not having all of the prerequisite classes needed for specialized programs.

Science and math requirements to graduate from high school are bare minimums in the United States, with most states not requiring so-called advanced classes such as physics or calculus.

These requirements barely meet prerequisites to enter into accredited engineering and applied for science programs, and sometimes they don't meet them at all.

When I was growing up, we had no physics classes available because Los Angeles Unified School only requires one advanced science — physics or chemistry. Because the school could only afford one teacher, we could only take one of these subjects. Many students fall victim to this system, which leads to a lack of interest in STEM majors for college and a diminished pipeline for people of color interested in STEM careers. 

2. Expose Students to Professionals in STEM

Urban youth are not as readily exposed to professionals working in STEM fields. Parents of urban schools often work in blue-collar jobs and struggle with high rent prices and an alarming unemployment rate.

 Many of them are also new immigrants struggling with language barriers and culture shock. STEM careers are not an everyday occurrence, and often, the closest person to a scientist they see are their teachers and doctors.

But, as social learning theories state, people learn by observation and modeling.

 Seeing ourselves represented in the STEM workforce (as in every other case) allows us to see ourselves in that position. So, it isn't surprising that STEM careers are not at the forefront of many urban youths' minds.

STEM activists work tirelessly to ensure that students are exposed to working professionals by hosting panels and school events. Even in urban schools, it isn't unusual to see professionals coming in for career day to talk to the students about their exciting careers.

But even though meeting actual scientists, mathematicians, and engineers is super awesome, it doesn't help a student that still does not have the required courses offered in their school. This is why I love Software Sales. There is a low barrier to entry, and the ROI is second to none.

Schools and STEM outreach organizations must foster relationships with professionals in the industry that the students can relate to. Students must see that STEM professionals are not just white and male in urban schools. Bringing in professionals with a similar background as the students will also ensure that they get a more accurate representation of the struggles we face when entering careers in STEM.

Schools and organizations should have working connections to local professionals and firms to expose students to different careers throughout their school years. Therefore, companies such as Microsoft, AWS, and Google play such a vital part in the success of Itech. Their willingness to partner and dive in to help has been invaluable. 

3. Start STEM Outreach Earlier Than High School

We must start STEM outreach early! When I'm asked to visit schools and talk to students, it's always too high school students just about to graduate. By then, it's too late – because not one of those students will be able to catch up on three years of missed classes. I'm a firm believer that exposure leads to expansion. The sooner we can expose our children to STEM as an option, the more likely they are to fall in love with the idea of STEM as a valuable option. STEM outreach requires follow-through.

If we are pushing engineering toys for girls and hosting hack-a-thons for tweens, we need to make sure that their schools can formalize this education to turn playful skills into actual careers.

I see a disconnect between pushing materials that reinforce that STEM is a viable career for underrepresented students and ensuring that students receive the proper schooling necessary to enter competitive colleges and programs.

We need to bring STEM activists and professionals (especially people of color in these fields) into classrooms very early. And we must encourage professionals to speak about their high school and college experiences that led to their careers; otherwise, students only get to see the results and have no concept of what they can do now to ensure future success.

4. Incorporate College Prep and Mentorship into STEM Outreach

STEM activism is nothing without college prep and mentorship.

If we are pushing STEM to our youth and want more representation for people of color, we have to give them the tools to succeed. Yet high schools aren't offering college-prep curriculums that reflect an understanding of the requirements of engineering and applied science schools, and STEM outreach organizations are not always reaching out to schools to help.

Great resources for college prep, like adMISSION POSSIBLE and KnowHow2GO, are doing so much to help students get organized and understand the college admissions process but still do not have an excellent grasp of the requirements for engineering and applied science schools.

This list, written by the founder of adMISSION POSSIBLE, suggests steps students can take to pursue a career in STEM, yet the only advice is to talk to working professionals. And while I agree that this is a great way to understand STEM careers, it isn't an option for many urban youths, and it's doesn't solve the problem of students who are unable to even apply to colleges with accredited STEM programs.

College prep needs to be integrated into STEM outreach because success in STEM cannot exist without proper college guidance.

STEM-specific college prep must emphasize requirements for colleges that specialize in STEM and work on the insufficient resources for urban youths.

College prep offices should not be uninformed about specialized, standardized tests and requirements beyond the bare minimums to enter college. If the professionals are uninformed, it's no wonder women, and people of color from urban schools are not entering STEM fields at the rate we wish they were.

5. Continue Mentorship into College and Beyond

Once students enter college and are majoring in STEM fields, they require support and mentorship to see them, though.

Colleges erroneously assume that all students entering the class must be at the same level. Yet, as I explained before, many urban youths are just eking by due to insufficient schooling.

First-year students are nervous and overwhelmed, but these feelings can be compounded for students who come from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups or are the first ones in their families to attend college.

STEM outreach programs need to have a presence in colleges as much as they do in elementary and high schools. And we must provide mentorship that focuses on marginalized groups so that their specific needs are being addressed.

 And I don't want to overlook the great work some colleges and universities are doing to recruit and retain students of color. However, the rate at which minority students drop out of college is still astonishing, so something is amiss. I know that many reasons why urban students fail boil down to not having the proper resources to prepare them for rigorous coursework in STEM majors.

As this study suggests, Black and Latinx students show the same enthusiasm for STEM careers as white students, while Asian students show more interest overall. But when minority students enter college, they are underprepared and feel too overwhelmed – a phenomenon they label the "mismatch hypothesis."

Urban schools also have countless students that live below the poverty level, which sets up the stage for failure in a system that requires a lot of specialized studying and testing for success. It's already known that family income plays a big part in how well students perform in standardized tests such as the SAT.

We can't continue to have students graduate from high school and not be ready to enter college and choose a major that can lead to a STEM career. And all of the "I'm a Future Scientist" t-shirts in the world won't change that unless we are proactive about drastic changes to our education system and STEM outreach programs.

Thanks for reading; please be on the lookout for our summer outreach program & feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or at [email protected] for more information on how you can help or volunteer. And remember, it only takes one step to change our future.

 “This is why we Tech.”

www.itech0.com

Reference:

2018-02-16-Briefing-Higher-Ed.pdf (usccr.gov)

So You Want to Be an Engineer? How to Tell if This Is (or Is Not) a Good Idea | HuffPost

adMISSION POSSIBLE?| College Admission Resources for ALL Students

KnowHow2GO (acenet.edu)