Michael Duong
Pronouns: He/she/they
Research Mentor(s): Delrisha Hayes
Research Mentor School/College/Department: At Bat / NonUM
Program:
Authors: Michael Duong, Fatima Sumbal, Delrisha Hayes
Session: Session 6: 3:40 pm – 4:30 pm
Poster: 91
Abstract
My project is to create an after school/summer program for grades k-5th that focuses on teaching STEM/engineering through the lens of softball/baseball. The project is through an organization called At Bat and there was a program ran by them last year but it didn’t offer robotics. The purpose of my project is to provide a program that teaches STEM/engineering while also providing a way to play softball/baseball for at-risk students in Detroit. The project aims to provide a way to keep kids both physically and mentally active during the summer. Furthermore, by fostering an interest in STEM/engineering students may be able to pursue a career in engineering. We have some data from the previous programs of things like student engagement and faculty evaluation but mainly research consists of designing and testing pilot lessons for the program. We analyze our findings by collecting feedback. We hope that the program will teach STEM/engineering ideas/skills and that the students will take an interest in learning. I hypothesize that the students will enjoy the lessons because the way we are designing them is intended to be very hands-on and not super technical. Our conclusion is the final program and whether or not it was beneficial to the students. The benefit is for the at-risk students, providing them with a free way to stay both physically and mentally active over the summer. Furthermore, the lessons are designed to be fun and hands-on and not just a lecture format. Parents of the students would also benefit as they have a program to look after their kids over the summer if they have to work.
