The Center for Latino/a Studies and Engagement (CL@SE) announced FIESTAS (Families Involved in Education: Sociocultural Teaching and STEM) as one of two winning research project proposals of the 2013 Faculty Summer Stipends for Engaged Research.

Families Involved in Education: Sociocultural Teaching and STEM (FIESTAS)
FIESTAS is a collaboration between OSU’s College of Education, 4H Youth Development, and the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) program. The primary focus of the 4-H STEM program is to enhance the participation and knowledge of STEM related topics of Latino and underrepresented youth in the 3rd to 5th grades. Because of the changing demographics and increasing diversity of the K-12 population, which do not align with preservice teacher (PST) demographics, we believe that engagement with youth in culturally and linguistically contexts is needed. This project transforms the ways that preservice teachers practice STEM and empower youth within community-based and authentic learning contexts.

The present study seeks to understand: (a) How do PSTs position themselves in relation to content, children, and families? (b) How do teacher preparation courses disrupt the commonplace to transform views of teaching and learning? (c) And, how do PSTs engage in praxis in which they apply and enact education concepts in community settings? Data collection and analysis focuses on preservice teachers’ reflections: before and after their participation in Family Math and Science Nights and throughout the term in which they engage with youth in the afterschool 4H program in an ongoing way during the course.

Kathryn Ciechanowski (co-PI), ESOL/Bilingual Programs, College of Education
SueAnn Bottoms (co-PI), Elementary Science Education, College of Education
Ana Lucia Fonseca, Program Lead, 4H STEM afterschool program
Jenny de la Hoz, PhD student in Science Education, College of Education