Engaging youth of color in applied science education and public health promotion

ABSTRACT

Participation in inquiry-based science education, which focuses on student-constructed learning, has been linked to academic success. Whereas the benefits of this type of science education are evident, access to such high-quality science curriculum and programming is not equitable. Black and Latino students in particular have less access to supplementary science programming, and fewer opportunities to engage in inquiry-based education. This paper describes outcomes associated with an inquiry-based out-of-school time science education program, Nuestro Futuro: Applied Science Education to Engage Black and Latino Youth (NFASE), which sought to build the capacity of middle school students of color to ‘think’ like health scientists from diverse disciplinary perspectives. The program was designed with the intent of (1) improving student attitudes toward and motivation for science and (2) increasing active and engaged citizenship (AEC). NFASE students explored health inequity and the social determinants of health locally and engaged in developing health promotion, outreach and education efforts targeted to their peers, parents/families, and community. Interest in the program was high overall, but implementation was not without challenges. Although evaluation outcomes indicate that there were no statistically significant changes in science-related attitudes or motivation, students reported significant increases in neighborhood social connection, as well as overall AEC.

KEYWORDS:

• Science education
• applied inquiry
• youth-engagement

View correction statement:

Erratum

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Science Education Grant Program, grant number R25MD006848. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIMHD. The authors have no financial interests to disclose.