Developing effective life skills for Latino student success : a 4-H science project

Abstract

As science and technology play an increasingly significant role in shaping the direction of the global landscape, it's important to develop and engage young minds that will eventually lead these industries. America lacks a strong representation of students graduating with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees in relation to other countries around the globe, which could eventually decrease its competitive advantage as a large global entity. Within this deficient presence of American students lies other layers of poor representation, such as from females and minorities like Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans. Engaging students in STEM fields can prove to be a difficult challenge, however universities around the country are experimenting with options to increase interest among young students, particularly from these minorities. Ohio State University Extension designed the "4-H Eco-Bot Challenge Experiment" which introduced youth to robotic engineering concepts. The competition presented participants with the problem of programming a robot to clean up a simulated environmental spill. Washington State University modified the challenge to ensure that Latino youth across the country could participate, with results that indicated that many students were interested in STEM after being exposed to scientific problem-solving. By developing and implementing STEM projects for Latino urban youth, 4-H Youth Development has demonstrated its capacity to deliver educational opportunities that will enrich the education of youth and expand the program's impact on Latino audiences. Keywords: 4-H, Latino youth, STEM projects, youth development, Eco-Bot challenge