School-based Clubs as a Mechanism to Increase Student Interest in Materials Science Engineering and Nanotechnology among Underserved Groups

Since 2005, the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM) has co-facilitated materials science and engineering (MSE) clubs at low-income middle and high schools in Western Puerto Rico to increase awareness and interest in the areas of materials science, nanotechnology, and engineering. In this article, we describe the club activities and share the results of the 2009 end-of-year assessment regarding knowledge, interest, and educational aspirations in MSE, along with differences based on gender, parent education level, and school level. Overall, participants expressed positive opinions about engineering as a career. While students expressed high interest in pursuing university studies in science and engineering, some differences became apparent based on gender, parent education level, and school level. There were also differences between boys and girls in perceived knowledge gains. The results of this assessment provide promising evidence that school-based MSE clubs may help attract underserved students into the MSE pipeline.