Learning to Lead Program Continues for Third Year to Empower Teen STEM Leaders
From Columbia Gorge STEM Hub:
By Nicole Tolmie
The Dalles, Ore. Sept. 19, 2024 — The ‘Learning to Leads’ program will continue for a third year due to a Career Connected Learning grant awarded to the Columbia Gorge STEM Hub from the Oregon Community Foundation. The grant will continue to allow the Columbia Gorge STEM Hub, in partnership with Oregon State University and Wasco County 4-H, to hire high school students in Hood River, Gilliam, and Wasco Counties to serve as Teen STEM Leaders for the 2024-2025 school year.
This project provides cohort training to high school youth in Hood River, Gilliam, and Wasco Counties, equipping them to lead and mentor younger students in engineering and computer science projects. Training is infused with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills training including diversity and inclusion, communication, teamwork, employment and interview skills, and management techniques, helping them build connections and mentorship with younger students.
This program has expanded outreach to groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM (specifically LatinX, girls, and rural youth). Youth gain professional and social-emotional skills through a career-connected service-learning project guiding youth through STEM/Maker, robotics, and digital arts activities. Youth also have increased access to engineering and computer science career exploration supported by these paid community teen leaders.
In the previous school year, 13 students served as teen leaders. Their roles included mentoring students in robotics, digital arts, garden, and STEM projects at local middle and elementary schools, library programs, and after-school programs. This school year, approximately 300 youth are anticipated to participate in summer, after-school, and robotics camps led in part by Teen Leaders. New high school students from Hood River County School District are already teaching FLL Robotics in the after-school program, and existing Wasco County students are supporting STEM programming in various school and library programs.
Program oversight will be led by Susan McCourt, STEM Educator with Wasco County 4- H. She shares, “I think it's our most impactful way to reach high school students. It provides real-world employment skills, teaches them how to work with younger students, and allows them to earn money while practicing important social-emotional skills to connect with younger children.”
Clubs are also starting this fall, including a robotics club and an artful gardening club (in partnership with Columbia Gorge Arts in Education) at The Dalles Middle School and elementary VEX Robotics and elementary Maker programming through North Wasco County School District’s After School Academy (ASA).
Community partners have included Columbia Gorge Community College’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department, North Wasco County School District, Dufur Schools, Hood River County School District, Wasco County Public Library, Wasco County Fair, Maupin Library, Columbia Gorge Arts in Education, Google, Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, and retired community members from technology careers.
“This position helped me out so much for future careers and a college major in teaching! I have accepted a job in the migrant school and this job extended the skills for better communication skills with kids in schools, and also helping out with clubs!” shares Abel G., a previous STEM Leader.
Colin S., a 12th Grade STEM Leader shares, “I joined 4-H in sixth grade, competing in robotics and participating in other STEM projects. By high school, I became a teen leader and was able to teach the next generation of robotics students. I started to develop communication, leadership, and workmanship skills. I also learned how to teach younger students and understand how they learn, develop, and get excited about STEM. It gave me the skills to apply for an internship and gain confidence to apply for other opportunities after high school.”
Families interested in learning more about the “Learning to Lead” project can contact Susan McCourt at susan.mccourt@oregonstate.edu.
Columbia Gorge STEM Hub is a department of the Columbia Gorge Education Service District. To learn more about the STEM Hub’s work in our region visit: www.gorgestem.org.
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