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1. Benefits, Roles, and Tensions: Understanding the Process of Collaboration in Rural Engineering Education Contexts

   Schilling, M.; Grohs, J. (August 2022, 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition)

   Calls from regional commissions and research in rural education have emphasized the importance of collaboration to build economic resilience, support communities, and provide students with access to resources for educational opportunities. This study took place in the context of a partnership in a rural, Appalachian region of Virginia focused on providing recurring hands-on activities for middle school students to explore engineering in classrooms with the support of local engineering industry professionals, university affiliates, and teachers. The purpose of this study is to describe how university affiliates explained collaboration using a process framework of collaboration defined around governance, administration, organizational autonomy, mutuality, and norms of trust and reciprocity. Utilizing a single case study methodology, five semi-structured interviews with university affiliates after the second year of partnership were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis approach primarily informed by deductive methods and guided by the theoretical framework. Findings from the analysis suggest that university affiliates understood that there are unequal benefits for participating in the partnership, meaning that some partners got more out of the partnership than they might have been able to contribute. Additionally, participants suggested that each partners’ roles and responsibilities were unclear at times, which could have been clarified and strengthened through building relationships and trust among partners. Finally, participants suggested that tensions were present between what teachers were asked to do in the partnership and what might have been required of them by their schools given school expectations around preparation and testing around standards of learning. This research leads to recommendations around building future partnerships and sustainability of partnerships keeping in mind the importance of relationship building and being responsive to the needs of each partner. Additionally, future research could examine specific partnership roles from lenses related to sensemaking and boundary spanning. 

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2. Advanced Manufacturing Curriculum Development in Ohio High Schools and Community Colleges

   Sarder, MD (May 2024, IISE Annual Conference 2024)

   There is a huge lack of qualified personnel in advanced manufacturing in the U.S. Midwest stemming from a lack of student interest compounded with a lack of experienced teachers who usually motivate students. This paper describes the findings of an NSF RET project at Bowling Green State University that successfully addresses the common need to produce STEM graduates in the advanced manufacturing area. The NSF-RET project’s unique hands-on research experience combined with local industry collaboration prepare future STEM teachers, who can interject research experience in a classroom learning and tie that with the real-world implementations. The project cements the partnership among BGSU, local high schools, and community colleges in Ohio to address the common need of producing STEM graduates in advanced manufacturing area. This project addresses the workforce needs by producing competent high schools and community college educators, who are capable to blend research with educational activities at their institutions, motivate students for STEM degrees, and build long-term collaborative partnerships in the region. This project focused on two goals: (1) explore a sustainable educational model that connects high schools, community colleges, university, and industry; and (2) play a transformational role in preparing future leaders in advanced manufacturing. This paper explains the need, scope, and nature of the curriculum development process through engaging K-14 educators. This paper will share some of their successful research projects, how they translated their research into actionable curriculum modules, and some lessons learned from implementations. 

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3. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Aspirations Among Refugee Families: A Comparative, Multiethnic, Qualitative Analysis

   https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13110593  

   Hailu, Meseret F; Hovsepian, Setrag; Ibrahim, Mohammed; Atieh, Bruno; Mohamed, Saida; Chhetri, Nalini; Judson, Eugene (November 2024, Social Sciences)

   In this original research manuscript, we examined how gender, race, and ethnic heritage shape the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related and higher education aspirations of different communities of refugee youth and families participating in university–community organization partnerships. Families from various ethnic-based community organizations in Arizona (serving Bhutanese, Burundian, Congolese, Somali, and Syrian people) participated in this study. Using social cognitive career theory as our conceptual framework and a qualitative research approach, we conducted interviews and focus groups with 27 families over two years to better understand their experiences. We found that the youth and families in our study experienced the following: (1) a recognition of the value of STEM education; (2) the value of consistent support from parents and community members; and (3) appreciation for the practical interventions provided by the university–community partnership. Additionally, families communicated conflicting perceptions of the salience of race and gender. We concluded by discussing the implications of the study findings for higher education scholarship and practice. 

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4. Inspiring and Preparing Underserved Middle School Students for Computer Science: A Descriptive Case Study of the UNC Charlotte/ Wilson STEM Academy Partnership

   Mickelson, R A; Mikkelsen, I; Dorodchi, M; Cukic, B; Petro, C; Al_Ayeisha, Z; Alston, S; Teddy, A; Win, M; Wiktor, S; et al (January 2024, School community journal)

   Students from underrepresented populations—females, working class, and youth from marginalized racial/ethnic groups—are less likely than their middle-class Asian and White male peers to study computer science (CS) in college. The dearth of CS undergraduates from these groups contributes to projected labor force shortages. Sources of the dilemma include weak or absent inspiration and CS preparation in middle schools and negative stereotypes suggesting certain groups do not belong in CS. This case study describes three years of a community collaboration between a local university and a nearby middle school attended by primarily low-income students of color. The University of North Carolina Charlotte/Wilson STEM Academy Partnership focused on undergraduates majoring in CS teaching monthly workshops designed to inspire and academically prepare the middle schoolers for college and CS majors by teaching them coding and computational thinking while also challenging stereotypes about who belongs in CS. Post-workshop assessments, reflective essays, interviews, and administrative data were thematically coded. Findings suggest the workshops sparked interest in college and CS, undermined toxic stereotypes, and nurtured the academic self-confidence of middle schoolers. The Partnership provided the undergraduates with opportunities to meet their own academic goals while “paying it forward.” Results suggest that the Partnership can serve as a model starting point for disrupting the disproportionalities in female and underrepresented minority students in CS. 

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5. Math CEO: A Mutually Beneficial Partnership between College Mentors and Latinx Youths.

   Pantano, Alessandra (August 2024, Springer Nature Switzerland)

   This practice-oriented chapter highlights Math CEO, a university–community partnership at UC Irvine that connects middle school students from Santa Ana Title I schools with undergraduate mentors for weekly sessions of math enrichment. Its relationship‑driven mentoring, asset‑based curriculum design, and intentional integration of social‑emotional learning provide concrete strategies for building capacity in inclusive informal STEM education. Relevance and Implications for Practice: This chapter provides a practice‑based model for identifying and implementing culturally‑responsive informal pedagogical practices (CIPPs) in STEM afterschool programs. A mixed‑methods research study at Math CEO has documented reciprocal benefits: youth gain confidence, enjoyment of math, and early exposure to college life, while mentors develop instructional skills, self‑efficacy, and an interest in teaching or community‑focused careers. These dual impacts align closely with the grant’s goals of understanding how CIPPs influence both youth and afterschool staff, as well as building long‑term capacity for high‑quality, research‑informed informal STEM programming. 

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