LSYOU (Louisiana State Youth Opportunities Unlimited), a year-long
program for underserved youth, is sponsored by the LSU College of Human
Sciences & Education. During LSYOU’s recent summer phase of the program,
they collaborated with School of the Coast and Environment and the College of
Engineering to expose students to STEM disciplines and careers. After
introducing the students to engineering tools and various technologies combined
with authentic hands-on projects, subjects like math and science took on an all
new interdisciplinary meaning.
Exposure to professionals and the work they perform is extremely
critical in STEM education. By introducing students to topics and professionals
in very relevant ways through projects, students actually experience what it is
like to be an engineer, a designer, or even an epidemiologist! Interest is
sparked; dreams begin.
Exposing students to interesting STEM work doesn’t happen by itself.
As this inspiring article featuring LSYOU demonstrates, it took a committed
team of professionals working together to plan and deliver real-world
professional projects; projects that these students probably would have never
participated in. A rigorous curriculum is certainly a must in K12, however,
waiting until youth enter the workplace to experience a workplace’s unique
skills, tools, and knowledge is simply too late.
Read the LSYOU article recently featured on LSU’s homepage: “Program
provides support for high school students - Louisiana at-risk youth had a
special opportunity to learn more about the way their world works through a
diverse group of activities at the LSYOU program this summer.”
For more information about the LSYOU program in the LSU College of Human
Sciences & Education, visit www.lsu.edu/lsyou. For more information about the School of the Coast and Environment,
visit http://www.sce.lsu.edu/;
and for more information on the LSU College of Engineering, visit http://www.eng.lsu.edu/.
