2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Following the success of an initial pilot project aimed at addressing educational inequities in rural areas through a blended remote learning approach, this paper presents the outcomes of its second and expanded implementation across 11 remote schools in Latin America, and the third implementation with 23 schools including 12 rural school under the Consejo Nacional de Fomento Educativo (CONAFE) Mexico. The pilot focused on enhancing STEM education by providing remote instruction, access to learning management systems, and hybrid learning models, combining expert urban teachers with local educators. The success of the pilot motivated a larger-scale implementation, which this paper details.

In this phase, the educational methodology from the pilot process (described in a previous paper) was applied in a second implementation across 11 schools. Students explored key concepts on energy, sustainability, and microgrid construction for community use. The study highlights how hands-on projects and remote collaboration engaged students despite infrastructure challenges. Data collection included pre- and post-tests, student attitude surveys toward STEM, and participation in synchronous and asynchronous learning activities.

A third implementation was designed to assess the feasibility of remote learning in underprivileged areas with limited resources, focusing on schools supported by the Consejo Nacional de Fomento de la Educación (CONAFE). Additionally, other schools that voluntarily chose to participate were also included in the project.

The paper will present the results, which show significant improvements in students’ understanding of STEM concepts and increased interest in STEM careers. Additionally, hands-on projects demonstrated the potential for rural communities to independently generate and manage electrical energy. This study examines key factors, challenges, and lessons learned, providing a replicable model for remote STEM education in underprivileged regions.