Portland State University (PSU), in partnership with Verizon Innovative Learning and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), offers a project-based STEM learning program for middle school students. This program, started in August of 2021, is part of Verizon’s education initiative, an initiative that addresses barriers to digital inclusion. The intended goal is to make future careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) more accessible for under-resourced middle schools.
The program is designed to provide 6th-8th grade students with the opportunity to learn more about design, 3D printing, augmented reality, and social entrepreneurship. Using dynamic lesson plans, activities, and experiences, the program turns belief into action, helping students learn in new and exciting ways. Previous program activities have included using 3D printing technology to create new tools for classmates with disabilities and utilizing a new learning app to work on combined interests such as STEM and music.
The Verizon Innovative Learning Program starts with a summer intensive in the month of August and continues through the school year, meeting once a week in order to provide a year-round experience for middle schoolers to explore what it’s like to be an engineer or entrepreneur. Hands-on experiences are an integral part of the program; students have the opportunity to work directly with virtual reality, augmented reality, and 3D printing. Working with these topics helps students see technology as a possible solution to problems near and around them.
Juan Barraza, director of Student Innovation at the Center for Entrepreneurship (CE), said this experience is particularly beneficial to Black and Latinx students who typically do not have access to this kind of material. “Seeing is believing,” Barazza said, “when a person of color looks into a field where diverse populations are not represented, it’s hard to imagine themself there. The fact that the mentors and role models we put in front of students look like them helps make clear that they, too, can be a part of the science and engineering industry.”
The Verizon Innovative Learning Program presents new possibilities for students of color. By working with these mentors and role models on a regular basis, students get a glimpse of what a future in STEM might look like. The program emphasizes the notion that they could be working in these fields, creating alternative possibilities for students in the program.
“We know the fields of engineering and entrepreneurship do not uplift diverse populations and we need to do something about that. By supporting programs like VIL, we are intentionally making space for BIPOC youth to dream about becoming a scientist or engineer,” said Barraza.
“At the CE we care a lot about creating pathways and opportunities for diverse populations to explore what it's like to be an inventor and entrepreneur. We’re excited to support this process directly in our own community.”