Promoting youth engagement in STEM in underserved U.S. Gulf Coast high schools through interdisciplinary, project-based outreach

Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of project-based learning and expanded access to educational opportunities in improving STEM outcomes for secondary school students into higher education. Building on this foundation, we present preliminary results from a pilot outreach program explicitly targeting underserved high schools along the Alabama Gulf Coast. The program focuses on schools with historically low participation in the regional science and engineering fair and lower academic performance based on statewide assessment metrics. The initiative is implemented through a symposium-style format designed to promote STEM engagement, career exploration, and community involvement. A distinguishing feature of the outreach is the interdisciplinary approach, with a specific emphasis on environmental science and environmental justice issues relevant to students’ and community members’ experiences including concerns such as coal ash disposal and deforestation in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. This incorporates a place-based approach by grounding scientific learning in locally significant environmental challenges. The overarching goal of the initiative is to provide sustained career exploration, academic scaffolding, and community-focused support that can benefit students as they transition into higher education and STEM-related careers. This presentation shares ongoing results from the pilot program based on student participation and feedback surveys, and discusses its potential for broader application in underserved coastal communities.