The need for retention of undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines is well documented and is impacting the availability of qualified individuals for the workforce, graduate education, and the professoriate. To inspire students to engage in STEM education, the University College at the University of South Florida (USF) created and offered the USF STEM Academy, an intensive six-day residential program targeted to rising junior and senior high school students. The 2012 STEM Academy focused on Diabetes: From Basic Research to Bedside. USF’s STEM Academy was designed by Richard S. Pollenz (SOT) to develop the skills of collaboration, inquiry, discovery, and creativity in the students as well as teach them how to facilitate shared ideas.The USF STEM video captures the essence of the program.
STEM Academy participants were provided access to USF’s internationally recognized faculty and participated in hands-on research in the state-of-the-art research facilities. The curriculum approach used by the STEM Academy provided transformative learning and retained knowledge. The program was capped at 20 students to provide participants a cohort environment and one-on-one interaction with Academy professors, professionals, and graduate students. A hallmark of the Academy was the “Grand Challenge Problems” that were related to the STEM Academy focus area. Students worked in small groups (five students and one STEM mentor) to develop solutions to one problem. The innovative aspect of the problem was that each group of five students was required to present the solution using creativity and performance (skits, poetry, singing, dancing, etc.) during the closing program, which was attended by parents and university faculty and administrators. All performances were filmed and will be used as science literacy or teaching modules in future USF courses and outreach activities. In addition to the Challenge Problems, STEM Academy students participated in a activities designed to help them understand careers in STEM fields, understand the pathways to MD and PhD degrees, and learn how basic science underlies diabetes and marine science research. STEM students also visited USF research centers, networked with research faculty, observed diabetes research in a clinical setting, and carried out basic research for diabetes. Program evaluation showed that all students met the program learning objectives and were motivated to engage in STEM fields after completing high school.