Engaging Hispanic Students in Computing: Bridging Research and Practice in Middle and High School
Please indicate how good a choice each would be as a college major for you or someone like you. Computing/computer science/information technology ▪ Source: New Image for Computing
Very good or good choice: Hispanic boys: 78% Hispanic girls: 32% Source: New Image for Computing
Resources and challenges: Institutional Relational Individual
Worlds: Families, peers, schools, community Resources: financial aid, emotional and instrumental support Challenges: limited access, computing does not help the community, computing is geeky, computing is not for students like you
K-12: Value cultural assets and practices Increase computer access Offer classes beyond typing
Parent education driven by community needs After school programs: Bilingual teachers Professional mentors Near-peer role models Pairs or small groups Online/ anytime networks of support
After school programs: Hands-on activities Foster curiosity and exploration Link activities to real-world issues Link cultural values to program goals
10 Intensive classes“Bridging” Puente Opportunity Network Parent Engagement
4 th and 5 th Grade : Tech learn Middle School: Computer game programming Web design MESA High School: Tech teach, MESA
Puente: learning management system Field trips to IT companies, colleges Virtual role models and mentors Student showcasing & Graduation
Community Leadership Committee Parent Workshop Series Evening Computer Lab Field Trips to Tech Companies
Coalition of STEM education programs Cross-refer students Coordinate schedules Share resources Get the “T” into STEM
Research findings Institutional Relational Individual
Partnerships Across K-12 K-12 higher ed Informal settings K-12 Informal settings higher ed
Jacob Martinez (Project Director) Steve Bean (Principal Investigator)
Webcast: Thursday, 11am PST Karen Peterson Brenda Britsch Jill Denner