Scientist Spotlights Partnership Program: Connecting High School Students with Science Role Models through Authoring Inclusive Curriculum Supplements
-
Project Description
The Scientist Spotlights Partnership Program: Engaging High School Students in Exploring Biomedical Science Careers by Connecting with Counter-Stereotypical Scientists Project Narrative The Scientist Spotlights Partnership Program aims to promote high school students’ science identity, relatability to scientists, and interest in biomedical science careers by engaging them in interviewing biomedical scientists and authoring Scientist Spotlights, which are curricular supplements highlighting the stories of counter-stereotypical scientists that can be used to teach science content standards. To investigate the impact of engaging high school students in authoring Scientist Spotlights, we will partner high school teachers with near peer undergraduate student mentors from diverse backgrounds who will together guide high school students through the authoring process and collaborate on assessing the impact on students’ science attitudes and career interests. Over 5 years, we aim to collaborate with ~40 science teachers, ~80 near peer undergraduate mentors, and ~1280 high school students who will author ~640 peer-reviewed biomedical Scientist Spotlights that will be disseminated, along with research results, through the free, online, and open access Scientist Spotlights Initiative website. 1
-
Abstract
The Scientist Spotlights Partnership Program: Engaging High School Students in Exploring Biomedical Science Careers by Connecting with Counter-Stereotypical Scientists Project Summary/Abstract Extending the work of the successful NIH SEPA-funded Scientist Spotlights Initiative, San Francisco State University – in partnership with Foothill College and University of Georgia – aims to expand collaborations with high school teachers to be nationwide, connect high school students with near peer undergraduate student mentors from diverse backgrounds, and investigate the impact of engaging high school students as authors of Scientist Spotlights in the new Scientist Spotlights Partnership Program. Few high school students have access to biomedical scientists; even fewer have insights into their personal backgrounds and professional journeys. Research on science identity, stereotypes, and career interests suggests that lack of access to diverse representations of scientists is a key barrier for high school students envisioning themselves in biomedical research careers, especially for students from populations marginalized in science. Yet, bringing scientists directly into classrooms is not possible for many teachers, would not provide access to biomedical role models at scale, and may inadvertently reinforce stereotypes about who can pursue biomedical science. To increase representation of diverse biomedical science role models in high school science curriculum, we previously developed hundreds of Scientist Spotlights – metacognitive curriculum supplements that align with high school NGSS content standards, highlight the stories and research of counter-stereotypical biomedical scientists, and are reflective assignments completed by high school students. Faculty and undergraduate students authored Scientist Spotlights were freely available on the Scientist Spotlights Initiative website for teachers to use. Research results from prior efforts demonstrated increases in high school students’ science identity and relatability to scientists after experiencing only three Scientist Spotlights, and we unexpectedly observed even more dramatic positive impacts for undergraduate students who authored Scientist Spotlights. To leverage these results, we now propose to engage high school students themselves in exploring biomedical research careers by potentially interviewing scientists and authoring Scientist Spotlights. To accomplish this, we will partner high school teachers with undergraduate near peer mentors to guide the authoring process as well as to collaborate in assessing impact on high school students. Over 5 years, we aim to collaborate with ~40 teachers, ~80 near peer mentors, and ~1280 high school students who will have agency to identify, interview, and author Scientist Spotlights, which will be disseminated on the Scientist Spotlights Initiative website. Finally, we will conduct research to compare the impact of authoring versus just experiencing Scientist Spotlights assignments on high school students’ science identity, relatability to scientists, and career interests.
