AWARD YEAR: 2024

NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL & TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY

DIRECTOR: ROBERT COBB JR

PROJECT TITLE: ELEVATING THE UNDERREPRESENTED AND MARGINALIZED USING EXPERIENCES IN STEAGM (LUMENS)

eLevating the Underrepresented and Marginalized using Experiences iN STEAgM (LUMENS) will train and mentor the next generation of Underrepresented Minority (URM) professionals for degrees and careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Food, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Human (FANH) Sciences. North Carolina students in grades 9th-12th will be exposed to career pathways. The researchers seek to curtail the number of URM students who choose not to seek degrees and careers in the STEM fields and FANH Sciences. LUMENS aligns with Burroughs Wellcome’s initiative to produce more STEM Professionals. In 2024, Burroughs Wellcome shared that in a rapidly changing world, the need for effective, high-quality STEM education has never been greater (p.1). The efforts of LUMENS will be two-fold. One, to show the benefits of gaining knowledge of STEM and Agriculture; and two, to align LUMENS with the Education and Lifelong Learning, Innovative Systems Design and Development, and Economic Empowerment foci outlined in NC A&T’s Preeminence 2030: Blueprint Strategic Plan. This commitment helps to ensure that more first-generation students and students of color pursue education beyond high school. Prior partnerships with K-12 schools allow for a collaborative network, institutional assets, expertise, and resources to bridge the pathway of URM students seeking degrees in STEM fields and FANH Sciences. To meet LUMENS goal, the following objectives will be met: Obj.1: Support students in learning about academic degree programs; Obj. 2: Engage students with experiential learning experiences in STEM and Agriculture; and Obj. 3: Educate students about careers in STEM, Agriculture, and other related fields.

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