Elements of Success in Chicago Botanic Garden’s Science Career Continuum

Abstract

The Science Career Continuum at the Chicago Botanic Garden is a model program for successfully encouraging youth from diverse backgrounds into STEM careers. This program has shown that when students are given an opportunity to participate in real scientific research under the mentorship of a caring professional over multiple years, they are more likely to go to college and pursue STEM careers than their peers. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education

INTRODUCTION

Is there a formula for turning young people from diverse backgrounds into scientists? As our country’s demographics change, and as so-called “minorities” become majorities in many locations, it might be argued that our cultural differences make a one-size-fits-all educational strategy sound naïve and even insensitive. Yet there are some similarities among successful youth programs that might serve as good examples to follow. One program that is showing great promise in engaging urban teens of various ethnicities in meaningful science activities, including some citizen-science work, and steering them into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers is the Science Career Continuum (SCC) at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The SCC is an extracurricular program that strives to prepare a new generation of scientists, representing all ethnic backgrounds, and provide them with the education and training needed to address the environmental and conservation challenges of our time. For 20 years, this grant-funded program for students attending Chicago Public Schools has offered an opportunity to explore science-related programs at the Chicago Botanic Garden (the Garden). Participant selection has targeted African-American and Latin American youth who have expressed an interest in science and nature, with preference given to students from lower-income households and who are the first in their families to attend college. Most of these students do not have family members who could help them make college selection and course choices for science majors because they are unfamiliar with the field. Many of them also have been deprived of high quality science activities in school.

The SCC includes three programs that a student may participate in for five or more years. It begins with Science First, a four-week summer day camp for 40 students who are entering grades 8, 9, or 10 in the fall. Students engage in the content and practices of science while also studying environmental issues in their lives such as the impact of climate change or the availability of quality grocery stores and health care services in urban neighborhoods. They complete a group science research project using the scientific method. Recent projects have included measuring the effectiveness of different insulating materials, testing and comparing the effectiveness of different weed-control practices, and studying the pollinator-attraction properties of flowers. They focus on connecting the practices of science to real world situations.

Twenty students in total are selected to continue with an eight-week program, College First. They may be those who showed the most enthusiasm and promise while participating in Science First, similar qualified students from comparable programs at other institutions, or a mix of the two. Selection is based on the work students contributed to the Science First research project or city science fair, class participation during the summer, and other behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to returning to the Garden for a summer of engagement with a summer science research project before their junior and senior years of high school. College First combines a college environmental field study course with an extended research project working alongside Garden professionals. These projects vary and depend on the actual research being conducted by Garden scientists. Some students may perform DNA tests and analyze results to assist researchers in measuring the genetic diversity of a jackfruit tree population in Bangladesh, which is a concern of the agricultural community there, while other students may assist with ongoing research on the impact of the invasive Asian buckthorn tree and its ability to alter soil and air conditions and harm native species. Still other students might help their mentors assess the conditions of local ravines in order to recommend remedial work, or sprout seed samples from the seed bank collection in order to measure the viability of seeds exposed to long-term extreme cold storage. College First students also attend monthly meetings during the school year to learn about college selection, application, and the financial aid that they will need to pursue their passion for doing this kind of work.

The third formal program in the SCC is a ten-week Research for Undergraduates (REU) program. Three students who have successfully completed College First, are declaring a science major, and have demonstrated academic achievement in college are selected for the program. Students work with scientists and graduate students to do independent research on topics related to their mentors’ research, such as plant pathology, genetic diversity, or soil quality.

Garden educators have used a variety of methods and indicators to determine student progress and program effectiveness, including content knowledge assessment, attitude surveys, and science grades in school. Additionally, an annual alumni survey tracks participants’ progress after graduation. These evaluations have shown that the SCC is yielding dramatic results. In total, 100% of SCC students graduate high school, as compared with the Chicago Public School rate of 66% in 2014 (1). Furthermore, 94% of SCC alumni enrolled in college within a year after high school graduation, with 66% choosing to major in a STEM field.

To understand what makes the SCC and similar programs successful, the Garden gathered together 32 institutions with STEM-focused youth programs to compare successes and identify best practices for encouraging students to pursue STEM careers. The Hive Chicago-funded “Pathways to STEM Success” (2) wrapped up in early 2015 with a list of recommendations for successful recruitment, retention, and release of students from our programs. The SCC is a model of best practices on all counts.

First, SCC identifies individuals who demonstrate interest and aptitude in science while they are in middle school, when they are beginning to understand their own interests. Students at this age may be influenced by peers who do not share the same interests and may discourage science-minded students from participating in science at school. The SCC pools students from different schools into an affinity group of diverse students that will encourage each other’s passion for the subject matter. Students are introduced to STEM careers early in the program so they have time to acclimate to the idea that this may be an exciting and attainable career choice. Being able to do the work alongside science professionals and college students enables participants to imagine working as professionals in these fields one day.

Right from the start, the SCC breaks down barriers to participation. The SCC makes science learning accessible by providing transportation and financial support so that there is no cost to the students. Moreover, it conquers emotional barriers by establishing a safe community of like-minded students who come from different backgrounds and feel comfortable sharing their interests with each other. College First students get to work with scientists, professionals, and older students, participating in science research, horticulture, and interpretation programs that are happening every day at the Garden.

A second critical element in any STEM pathway program is retention of students. According to best practices, this is accomplished through support systems and continuity. The SCC achieves continuity through the multi-year format and by providing challenging educational experiences with increased expectations each year. Students receive mentoring from professional staff as well as students who are at the next level of the program—their “near peers”—reinforcing the continuity, accessibility, and nurturing aspects of the program.

This support extends to the group of students within their own cadre. A recent Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA) (3) was performed to evaluate the program. The YPQA is a self-assessment tool used to measure a program’s strengths and weaknesses based on a set of established metrics for successful youth programs. The YPQA examines student engagement, safety, rapport with instructors, personal interaction, and other factors that prove significant in youth programs. The study is used internally by the institution to improve the program and, as such, is not published. The SCC YPQA revealed that students form a bond of friendship and stay in touch with each other outside of the program. This is despite coming from different ethnic backgrounds, attending different schools, and living in distant neighborhoods, and demonstrated for Garden staff that the program is building support between program participants

It is not enough to offer a program and turn students loose without any further support. Best practices tell us that how we release students is as important to their success as how we recruit them. SCC staff members remain in contact with alumni and help connect these former students to internships and other opportunities as appropriate. Best practices also dictate that programs should be flexible to various outcomes of success for participants. SCC staff members recognize that not all students will become scientists, but all of them leave the program more confident in their abilities, more scientifically literate, and motivated to pursue their interests. These factors are also measures of success.

CONCLUSION

The SCC has shown that when students from diverse backgrounds are given an opportunity to participate in real scientific research under the mentorship of a caring professional over multiple years, they are better able to envision themselves pursuing STEM careers. By establishing a community of learners who share a passion for science and support each other’s personal achievement, the SCC expands participants’ notions of what is possible and brightens their futures, regardless of career choices they make.