Global Journal of Human Social Science, G: Linguistics and Education, Volume 23 Issue 3

STEM (STEAM) curriculum that the presenters and the researchers created. In addition, the students took a pre-survey using the S-Stem questionnaire regarding their perceptions of the STEM (STEAM) program before the start of the project. Following the 15 STEM (STEAM) workshop sessions, the participating students will take a post-survey using the S-STEM questionnaire. The research team will compare the pre-and post- questionnaire results at the end of the intervention period. All participants have the right not to participate and leave the study anytime. If they decide not to participate or go, they will still receive the regular science program at the school but will not be part of the research study. However, if a student chooses to stop being in the study before it is over, any information collected (such as the pre-survey) will be kept in the research records for 36 months from the end of the study and may be used as a part of the research. There is no guarantee or promise that participants will receive any benefit from this study. The possible use of being in this research study is to know how their perception of the STEM (STEAM) field has changed and science knowledge has improved at the end of the study. The researchers intend that information learned from the survey will benefit people in similar settings. All information about the participants in this research study will be handled confidentially, within the limits of the law, and will be limited to people who need to review this information. The lead researcher stored the participant information on a university computer. The researchers will use the data for granting agencies and publications to share knowledge with other researchers and educators. Many K-12 students, predominantly minority female students in the United States, lack the knowledge and skills to continue their STEM education and ultimately enter the workforce. There is an estimated 13% growth rate of STEM careers between 2017 and 2027, compared to 9% in other career fields (Education Commission of the States, 2020). To meet this need for STEM professionals, educational leaders in the United States are adamant in stating, “to hold a competitive edge in a rapidly changing global workforce, bolstering the nation’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce is essential” (National Education Association, 2016). Although in their earliest years, children are natural scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers (Murphy, 2001), by the time these same students reach the 8 th grade, over 50% have lost interest in focusing on higher education or a career in one of the STEM disciplines. Other researchers strongly believe that students are interested in STEM disciplines; a strong interest never develops (McCreedy & Kierking, 2013). Regardless of the reason, the fact remains that our STEM pipeline is significantly reduced by the time students reach middle school, secondary school, and college. Females, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and students from ethnic or racial minority groups are most affected (Figure 1). Example 1 Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree O O O O O Of these, equal gender representation is the most significant concern for educators. Studies have shown that, while gender disparity is lessening, more can be done to recruit females into STEM-related higher education and careers (Hawkins, 2015). Efforts to rectify this problem have shown that early exposure to informal STEM experiences can positively affect learning and participation (Langdon et al., 2011). This research project involved developing and delivering weekly STEAM hands-on workshops to high-school females and evaluating their effect on STEM interest, awareness, and knowledge. The study was conducted in an urban, predominantly Hispanic, lower socioeconomic Title 1 school in West Palm Beach, Florida. An over-arching research question guided the work: "Can participation in weekly STEAM workshops increase young females’ STEM interest and awareness?” In the most recent census, West Palm Beach, Florida, had approximately 110,000 residents, with a racial breakdown of 37% non-Hispanic white, 34% African American, and 25% Hispanic, earning a median income of roughly $54,000 (United States Census Bureau, 2019). The School District of Palm Beach County (SDPBC) consists of 160 K-12 schools enrolling approximately 170,000 students yearly. The district offers over 300 Choice programs that allow students to focus on various personal interests (e.g., the International Baccalaureate program, programs dedicated to music and the fine arts, information technology, and foreign languages). In addition, three schools host Choice STEM programs at the high school level (Palm Beach County Schools, 2020). The high school hosting the research project is a Title 1 institution with a population of approximately 200 students. In the most recent school year, the population was about 70% Hispanic, 14% Black, and 12% non-Hispanic white; the remaining 4% represented other racial and ethnic groups. The population is 44% female and 56% male, and 88% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. In addition, the school has ten Volume XXIII Issue III Version I 22 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 G © 2023 Global Journals Using Hands-on Experiences including Various Forms of ARTS to Increase Ninth-Grade Female Students’ Interest in STEM – Final Results Figure 1: Perceived Reasons for Gender and Ethnic Underrepresentation in STEM