Continuing in STEM fields: College and Beyond

Ohio's STEM schools already are doing wonderful work captivating their students' imaginations in the classroom. Now, they're working on helping the students to imagine their lives after graduation, where they can continue in STEM fields in college and in their careers.

Through innovative programming, STEM schools are helping students choose what college they want to attend, select a major, navigate the admissions process and even start to look at life after they've earned their college degree.

"We want students to imagine themselves in college and what their life will look like long after they've left the classroom," says Simon Jorgenson, from Cincinnati's Hughes STEM High School. "We get them out in the community, to college campuses and places of business, so they can begin to see themselves in those places."

Like other schools — both STEM and traditional — Hughes offers college visitations for its students.

However, few schools take it to the same extent as Hughes, which has two, weeklong "college intersessions" during its school year. The first is a college-focused session during the fall and is followed by a more "hands on" career-oriented session in the spring.

During its recently completed fall session, the school sent nearly 700 of its students to campuses of the University of Cincinnati, Oxford's Miami University and Central State University in Wilberforce to explore their college options. In addition to participating in group tours, the students also met with counselors to discuss admissions requirements and financial aid, says Jorgenson.

Although open to all students from the seventh grade and above, it's the older students who get the most out of the week — they meet with students and professors in their prospective majors and get a feel for what’s to come.

"College and career readiness is a part of our message throughout the year, but we take this week to really focus on college," explains Jorgenson. "A lot of our students would be first-generation college students, so it's designed to help them get a handle on where they want to go and what they want to do. And what they need to do to make that happen."

At Columbus' Metro Early College High School, helping students select a college and weather the admissions process has become part of the curriculum. Previously, the school helped students choose their college destinations through voluntary, before-school sessions. This year, it became a regular course, meeting twice a week throughout the school year.

“Early in the year, the class focused on researching college choices, including tuition costs, room and board options and available scholarships,” says Dorothy Sutton, the course instructor.

Next, Metro's nearly 80 seniors moved on to working on their résumés and letters of recommendation and filling out applications and writing essays for their entrance forms, all with Sutton's guidance.

"It's an advantage, having an English teacher look over their work. I think they really appreciate that level of attention," she says.

As part of the class, Metro also brought in representatives from colleges to help students understand college life. The results of all their hard work are already pouring in, says Sutton, pointing out that the acceptance letters have already arriving for Metro's seniors.

"By and large, it's been very successful," she adds.

Other STEM institutions are looking beyond college, as well.

At Dayton Regional STEM School, students participate in a job shadowing program twice a year, while "power lunches" with representatives from local businesses take place more frequently during the school year. Both programs have been part of the school's curriculum since its inception three years ago.

"We want the students to be able to experience a number of different things," says DRSS's director of communications and partnerships, Laurie McFarlin. "If they have an interest in something, we say 'Well, let's go take a closer look!' If they're interested in a lot of different things, they can do a process of elimination until they find something they want to pursue."

In job shadowing, students go off campus for the day to businesses where they follow someone in their field of interest. This past fall, students shadowed individuals at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Boonshoft Museum in Dayton, local construction companies and the Mound Laser and Photonics Center, among others.

Meanwhile, the "power lunches" have brought representatives from the Dayton RFID Convergence Center (a business incubator), LexisNexis and Kodak, along with materials engineers, medical technicians and individuals in other technical fields to the school's campus for informal lunchtime talks with students.

Other opportunities to explore life after high school include internships, which DRSS students are expected to do as a junior or senior. All together, the programs offer students a glimpse at their future.

"It opens up a lot of options to the students and lets them see what all these careers hold for them," adds McFarlin.

After choosing their path, some Ohio students can even get an early jump on earning college credits towards their degree. The Southeast Ohio STEM Hub is working with a group of local colleges and universities to offer its students dual enrollment options. Under the program, students taking advanced courses in technical fields can earn college credits, and possibly even an associate's degree, before graduating high school.

Don Washburn, the hub's project director, met with representatives from Marietta College, Muskingum University, Ohio University and Shawnee State in November to work on the program.

"It's a unique thing, and everyone is very excited about it," says Washburn. "And the schools have been very supportive. It would open so many doors for our students, and get them started down their career path."