2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 151: Utilizing African-Centered STEM Education to Inspire African-American Participation in STEM

Presented at Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE) Poster Session

African Americans are underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields. Educators posit that the current structure of STEM education is a contributing factor and advocate for new approaches to engage African American STEM learners. Common approaches include exposing African American STEM learners to ethnically-matched STEM professionals and incorporating elements of African American culture in the pedagogy and curriculum. Although research studies have shown these strategies increase African American engagement, these techniques are limited in addressing the holistic development of African American students and the needs of African people.

In 2022, the founders of the Uhuru Academy and Conscious Ingenuity developed and implemented the Uhuru Academy Conscious Ingenuity (UACI) Summer STEM Camp to provide an African-Centered STEM educational experience for African American learners. This initiative targeted third through twelfth grade African American students from across the United States of America. Thirteen students participated in the virtual camp during the summer of 2022, and 22 students engaged in the camp during the summer of 2023. The camp's goals were to increase student interest and confidence in STEM, expose students to the fundamentals of coding, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning. affirm students’ Africanity, and provide an understanding of how STEM can be used to advance people of African descent.

The UACI Summer STEM Camp provided African-Centered STEM Education (ACSE) to camp participants in an interactive virtual setting. Participants in the 2023 camp were given pre- and post-camp surveys to examine the impact of using this novel approach to teaching STEM. Providing an African-Centered STEM educational experience led to notable increases in students’ confidence, perceived ability, interest, and intention to continue learning STEM. This paper provides a description of the UACI Summer STEM Camp, describes the cultural practices, teaching strategies, curricula and other techniques deployed to provide an African-Centered STEM educational experience and discusses the impact of this novel approach on camp participants.

Authors

Dr. DeAnna Bailey Morgan State University [biography]

Dr. DeAnna Bailey is a faculty member of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Morgan State University. Dr. Bailey has an academic background in electrical engineering (B.S. in electrical engineering and Doctor of Engineering). She researches, develops and examines effective methods of teaching STEM to African American youth. At her university, she utilizes African-Centered methodology to teach electrical engineering concepts. She founded and co-founded various programs to increase African American participation in STEM by exposing urban African American youth to science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEM) in ways that supports their interest, confidence and knowledge in STEM and affirms their cultural identity. Additionally, Dr. Bailey has partnered with local community organizations to create and implement camps focusing on leadership development, critical thinking skills, cultural education, and physical training. She has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences and workshops, including the National Academy of Sciences workshop on engaging Black men and women in engineering. Dr. Bailey aims to advance racial equity in STEM education by introducing innovative ideas, teaching techniques, and curricula to the engineering education research community, while also seeking to reconceptualize engineering for African American people.
Mr. Baba Amin Imamu Ojuok The Uhuru Academy [biography]

Baba Amin Ojuok: African-Centered Educator and Hip Hop Activist

Baba Amin Ojuok (formerly Steven Richmond) is a distinguished African-centered educator, lecturer, and Hip Hop activist, boasting an illustrious career spanning over 30 years. His tireless dedication revolves around empowering Black youth and championing African-centered perspectives.

Founder of The Uhuru Academy, Baba Amin has pioneered a transformative educational experience deeply rooted in African culture and history. Beyond traditional academic realms, his influence extends to the community through podcasting and activism, drawing inspiration from influential Black leaders such as Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, and W.E.B. DuBois.

Baba Amin's impact reaches into the realm of Hip Hop activism, utilizing the medium of conscious rap to advocate for social change. His commitment to cultivating cultural pride and self-sufficiency aligns with his vision for the advancement of Black youth.

In a strategic partnership with Conscious Ingenuity, Baba Amin is actively involved in providing a culturally responsive and relevant STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) curriculum. This initiative aims to increase the representation of Black youth in STEAM careers, fostering a new generation of innovators and leaders.

In the spirit of his influences, Baba Amin Ojuok stands as a beacon of resilience, wisdom, and unwavering dedication to the advancement of Black youth, transcending boundaries through education and Hip Hop activism.
Tamara Altman Impact Allies
Charnee Bowens Morgan State University
Prof. Kevin Kornegay http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-5233-0154 Morgan State University [biography]

Kevin T. Kornegay received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY, in 1985 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1990 and 1992, respectively. He is
Dr. Kofi Nyarko Morgan State University [biography]

Dr. Kofi Nyarko is a Tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Morgan State University. He also serves as Director of the Engineering Visualization Research Laboratory (EVRL). Under his direction, EVRL has acq
Dr. James Holly, Jr. http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-4671-5277 University of Michigan [biography]

James Holly, Jr. is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and core faculty member within the Engineering Education Research program at the University of Michigan. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University and a master’s degree from Michigan State University, both in Mechanical Engineering. He earned his doctorate in Engineering Education from Purdue University. His research paradigm is shaped by his experiences growing up in a Black church within a Black city and later studying engineering at Tuskegee University, a Black institution, three spaces where Blackness is both normal and esteemed. His scholarship focuses on the ways disciplinary knowledge (i.e., mechanical engineering) reinforces racialized power, the role of culture and cognition in teaching and learning, and preparing pre-college engineering educators to identify and counteract racial inequity.

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