I enjoyed this video, and hearing the young people's voices.  I am curious if PAAMEE includes partnerships with green companies in the Detroit area-- either for field trips, or visits by professionals, or even internships?  More power to you!

Michelle

Thank you for sharing this project. I agree with Brian, it was very refreshing to hear from multiple students directly, and what a worthwhile project specifically targeted for African American males to be exposed, engaged and ultimately empowered/inspired with opportunities in STEM technical fields/careers (and internships) in areas like renewable energy.

 

When I listen to the students  I heard one from the video say "when I see kids from the neighborhood and city, and they are not doing what I'm doing, and I feel stuff like this is important, because what else could they be doing? The possibilities are limitless both good...and bad. I'm seeing more opportunities for myself open up as I learn more and more about renewable energy and engineering opportunities in the workplace...the more I sink into the program the more I get out of it" (Landon @1:15 min)


...You have achieved success and are hitting on all cylinders. AWESOME!

 

A quick question:

What metrics are you using to measure impact for these ~240 student participants beyond the wonderful anecdotal and rich personal stories they are sharing? Is there a measure of the percentage that take more advanced coursework, or secure internships in technical STEM fields, or that go on for a 2 year/4 yr technical degree (and apologies in advance if the program is too early in its progression to track this or other types of data)?

Hi Michelle,

Your project does, indeed, sound both exciting and inspiring. I'm curious about whether the students who enter your program are already disposed to participate; if not, how are you "hooking" students without strong connection to STEM learning already?

I'd also love to know more about how you recruit, prepare, and "use"  industry partners to work with PAAMEE participants; for example, do industry partners (like the energy firm) facilitate courses on their own, or alongside local educators? Are there some courses where contact with industry partners is more intense than others?

Finally, I'd love to know more about the curriculum--for example, what kinds of learning experiences are built in, how long do the courses last, what kinds of issues/topics do they address, and whether you are making explicit connections to STEM coursework in school.

Thanks so much for your work!

 

I enjoyed the video and hearing the reflection of the young men. It is clear that the program is very beneficial and he industry connections seem critical to motivate the students to envision themselves in STEM careers. 

I am curious to learn why you focus on young men? Could young women participate also? Do you see a benefit of focusing on one gender only? 

 

Amazing work! Do you work with schools directly? Do you host programs at schools or do the students come to your program?  Thank you!!  April from Northern Michigan University