NC State’s Science House Reaches Out To Underrepresented Minorities

The Science House at North Carolina State University will be able to expand its successful efforts to serve underrepresented and rural high school students and their teachers thanks to an Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The $1.2 million, three-year grant will fund the Photonics Leaders II (PL2) program, which focuses on recruiting rising 10th graders into the “science pipeline” and preparing them for careers in scientific fields. The program enrolls students for two years of hands-on science instruction in optics, electronics and information technology, and offers them summer internship opportunities in related industries. In addition, PL2 will offer training and teaching techniques to schoolteachers who serve these student populations.

Students who successfully complete the program and continue on to college will receive PL2-funded scholarships to use at the college of their choice.

PL2 will build upon the success of The Science House’s previous photonics program, which resulted in 100 percent of the participants going on to college, and 85 percent of them majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

“The Photonics Leaders program integrates science, parental support and professional development for teachers in order to prepare students for the realities of the global workforce,” says Pamela Gilchrist, science-technology specialist with The Science House.

“We’re hopeful that the continued success of this program will result in the integration of highly skilled employees into the national workforce, and will help the United States maintain its position as global leader in STEM research and discovery.”