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LPFI Mission

LULAC’S 84 TH National Convention and Exposition STEM Education: Creating Opportunities for Success . LPFI Mission. To eliminate barriers faced by underrepresented students of color in STEM and foster their untapped talent for the advance of our nation. We do this through:

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LPFI Mission

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  1. LULAC’S 84TH National Convention and Exposition STEM Education: Creating Opportunities for Success

  2. LPFI Mission To eliminate barriers faced by underrepresented students of color in STEM and foster their untapped talent for the advance of our nation. We do this through: • STEM Education Programming: SMASH & SMASH Prep • Research and Evaluation

  3. Latino Underrepresentation in STEM and Importance of STEM Education • In the U.S, there will be a demand for 2.4 Million STEM jobs by 2018. • Latinos represent just 6% of the entire U.S. science and engineering workforce. • Only 2% of Latinos have earned a Bachelor’s degree in science or engineering. • Between 2000 and 2010 the U.S. Latino population increased by 43%. Sources: Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce STEM State Level Analysis; National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations of U.S. Department of Education Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Completions Survey, 2010; U.S. Census 2010

  4. Barriers Facing Latino Students in STEM Education • Latino underrepresentation in STEM can be linked to inequity in K-12 STEM education: • Teacher quality • Access to rigorous STEM coursework • Access to labs, textbooks, resources • Lack of STEM role models • Lack of exposure to STEM careers and opportunities • At the undergraduate level: • Few connections to STEM peers of color and faculty of color • Lack of STEM role models

  5. Summer Math and Science Honors Academy • 5-week, 3-year STEM-focused summer residential program • For high-achieving underrepresented high school students of color. • Currently held on 4 college campuses in California (UC Berkeley, Stanford, USC, UCLA). • Prepares students academically through rigorous math, science, and STEM elective courses. • Provides college success classes to support students in applying for college, financial aid, and scholarships. • Counteracts barriers by exposure to diverse STEM role models and building diverse peer support networks in STEM.

  6. SMASH Student Demographic Data • Currently serving ~500students. • 51% Female, 49% Male • 54% Latino • 24% African-American • 15% Southeast Asian • 7% Multiple Response/Other • 76% of current SMASH students qualify for free or reduced lunch. • 78% of current SMASH students are 1st generation to go to college.

  7. Evidence of Effectiveness • Academic year data indicate: • 79% of SMASH students enroll in advanced math and science courses at their schools during their senior year. • Alumni data indicate: • 91% of graduates are enrolled in 4-year universities (another 9% are enrolled in 2-year colleges). • 67% of alumni declared STEM majors. By comparison, only 23% of all college freshmen declare STEM majors. Source: U.S. Department of Education ,Education Dashboard: Percent Of Bachelor’s Degrees Conferred In STEM Fields, 2009

  8. Summary of Research • LPFI believes in linking direct service programs and research in order to: • Understand the effectiveness of interventions • Inform the continual improvement of STEM programming • Expand the existing body of knowledge on improving outcomes for underrepresented students in STEM • Recent findings: • Students of color perceive both internal and external barriers to pursuing STEM in higher education, and girls of color perceive barriers to STEM at a much higher level than their male counterparts. • After a five-week summer introductory computer science course, high school students of color demonstrated a significant increase in computer science skills and computer science college and career aspirations.

  9. “My technology class had the biggest impact on me and I have learned that I have an interest in computer science.” -3rd year SMASH Berkeley student

  10. “The greatest impact SMASH has had on me was my self-confidence in math. At school, I do not like to challenge myself and SMASH presented me with challenges and forced me to rise above.” -3rd year SMASH Stanford student

  11. THANK YOU Bianca Escalante, Development Directorbianca@lpfi.org Jarvis Sulcer, Executive Directorjarvis@lpfi.org

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