The Effects of Short-Term Science Engagement Activities on Student STEM Identity in Wyoming

The main objective of this research project is to discover if short three day science activities can substantially change students' interest in science and their STEM identity.  With the survey we have created, we hope to gauge if short science activities outside of regular class have an impact on the students perception of science and whether they view themselves as capable of being scientists. Since STEM identity has been shown to have a strong correlation to educational success and career goals,1 discovering ways to improve interest in science and help to foster STEM identity can help lead to better educational outcomes for students. Additionally, jobs in STEM fields tend to have higher salaries than other jobs and qualified workers are in high demand.2 Many studies look at the effects of long term or institutional factors such as teaching methods and exposure to positive role models in STEM3,4, but few have looked at if singular science activities can have a significant effect on the students interest in and identity related to STEM.