Abstract
BackgroundProfessional schools, such as schools of pharmacy, are rarely involved with promoting STEM interests among secondary school students. To address this shortcoming, the Young Innovators Program (YIP) was created to provide local secondary school students a summer immersive experiential program at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. The objective of this study was to assess the ability of the inaugural YIP to promote STEM interest, career awareness, and self-efficacy.Results YIP interns maintained high levels of STEM interest, career awareness, and self-efficacy. In addition, they reported significant increases in their perceptions of having role models in science.ConclusionsImmersion in research laboratories and clinics at a school of pharmacy can promote high levels of STEM interest, career awareness, and self-efficacy and provide interns with STEM professional role models. Our findings support YIP's vision that professional pharmacy schools can play an influential role in recruiting secondary school students to STEM disciplines.
Highlights
Professional schools, such as schools of pharmacy, are rarely involved with promoting STEM interests among secondary school students
The purpose of this study is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Young Innovators Program at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Intern responses to the surveys suggest that interns frequently interacted with STEM professionals and gained role models as a result; engaged in real-world laboratory research, as evidenced by their time spent in laboratories; and enjoyed their experience at the school and in the Young Innovators Program (YIP) Pilot, as demonstrated by their valuation of the learning they received and sustained STEM interest 2 months after the program concluded
Summary
Professional schools, such as schools of pharmacy, are rarely involved with promoting STEM interests among secondary school students. Table NAICS 622100; Bureau of Labor Statistics 2016, Table NAICS 622100) These workforce shortages are likely influenced by welldocumented deficits in STEM education (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology 2012; Radford et al 2010; United States Census Bureau 2014). Only 29.3% of individuals with STEM bachelor’s degrees in the entire workforce were working in a STEM occupation in 2009 (President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology 2012) and 74% of recipients of STEM bachelor’s degrees in 2014 did not enter a STEM profession (United States Census Bureau 2014).
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