Community Learning Exchange #1
Our first Community Learning Exchange focused on introducing the concept of culturally relevant pedagogy and creating new courses that included community engagement as required curriculum.
Faculty then will develop new classes which will emphasize meaningful engagement in community-based STEM-related projects, as well as new mathematics and biology “gateway” courses for first-year/early-career students, offered in a bilingual modality.
By emphasizing the broader, societal relevance of STEM fields, these new courses are designed to help students develop a sense of belonging and commitment, which enhances student success in underrepresented STEM fields. Contributing to community projects is another way to foster that commitment through applied learning.
Dr. Alexis Racelis, associate dean of Community Engagement and Outreach for the College of Sciences, and the grant’s principal investigator, welcomed the group and introduced co-principals Dr. Francisco Guajardo, executive director of the B3 Institute; Dr. Angela Chapman, assistant professor; Cristina Trejo, assistant vice president for Community Engagement & Assessment; and Dr. Juan Salinas, program coordinator – NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education.
This event took place in the IT2 building on the Edinburg campus on February 1st, 2019. Faculty and community partners participated in a meet-and-greet amongst each other. Dr. Mohammed Farooqui, interim dean of the UTRGV College of Sciences, presented information including how the mission of partnering with the community to address local and global grand challenges may be carried out.
After the speakers, attendees participated in a workshop facilitated by the NSF Grant Leadership Team, and collaborators that covered goals and processes for the program. In addition to training and workshops, the grant team intends to collect data to measure the impact of the professional development activities and new courses.
https://www.utrgv.edu/newsroom/2019/03/05-stem-community-engagement-grant-takes-shape-at-utrgv.htm