Latino children represent one of the fastest growing demographics in K-12 education. However, very few people will grow up to establish a career in technology. It is clear to them that there is a leak somewhere in the school-to-work pipeline.
just 1 in 10 people Technology workers are Latino, and Latino college students are more likely to choose STEM fields in college, but they earn less. 12 percent Number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. K-12 schools with higher percentages of Hispanic students, according to federal data Reduce the number of STEM courses offered than in schools with a lower proportion of Hispanic children.
Reporter Nadia Tamez-Robredo recently moderated a panel of technology experts at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual conference to discuss why Latinos still lag behind in science education and He talked about what is needed to ensure that they are not left behind, especially in science education. The rapidly growing AI industry. Read the main takeaways below.
Why is it important to have more Latinos in STEM fields?
Diana Logreira is a web program manager for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, which studies Earth from space. The organization seeks to increase interest in science among Latinos through initiatives such as partnering with Arizona State University to create K-12 science activities, an initiative that builds on the overall goal of promoting innovation. She said it was part of her mission.
“We need to further engage underrepresented communities in our programs, missions, and research, so what we’ve been working on is how do we bring our content to those communities? It’s about finding out what we can incorporate into it,” Logreira said. “For us, innovation is essential, and there is a lot of research showing that diversity is related and linked to the efficiency of innovation and scientific discovery.”
Maria Guedes is senior vice president of business development and technology for Denbury, an oil and gas company owned by Exxon Mobil. she said as she made out with the latino. 20 percent Among college students, they are the company’s future workforce. She believes they can help both remain energy providers and leverage technology to fight climate change.
“To help them see themselves reflected in the space and understand the possibilities of how they can play a role. [is important]” Geddes said. “At ExxonMobil, we have been working on supplying pipelines for many years.”
She said industry and school partnerships will be “essential” to increasing the proportion of Latinos in science and technology jobs, and one way her company will do that is , said it would send its own scientists to conduct demonstrations in schools. Part of the goal is to expand the types of careers students can pursue in science.
“They think of it in a very narrow sense and sometimes don’t have a reference point for what that looks like,” Geddes says. “They may not have anyone in their family or circle with a STEM career. [school partnerships are] It bridges that gap and provides an opportunity to understand what it really means to pursue a career in engineering, mathematics, and science. ”
Noel Candelaria, executive director and treasurer of the National Education Association, pointed to statistics showing that Latinos are overrepresented. 90 percent Rate of U.S. population growth since the pandemic began, and projections that will offset it 78 percent These numbers, he explained, are why Latino students need to participate in technology classes and career paths.
“We want to get the new workforce involved in advanced technology, not just the service industry,” Candelaria said. [in] We’ve been entrenched as a community for decades, but we’re actually leading the field. ”
What are the challenges to increasing the number of Latinos in STEM fields?
Isabella Elvir Rey, director of program management at Salesforce, said one step toward advancing Latinos in technology is changing the community’s mindset about artificial intelligence.
“When most people hear the word AI, they are afraid of it,” says Elver Rey. “How can we remove from AI the sense that it will replace humans?”
In her experience, young Latinos like her 14-year-old son are excited about AI and want the opportunity to use it in school. That enthusiasm should be put to good use.
“I think that’s what this conversation is about: how do we incorporate technology into the education system for underrepresented minorities,” Elvia-Rey said. “especially [encouraging] Our Latinx community has embraced these technologies early in life, and we need to embrace these technologies. ”
Candelaria said the National Education Association announced: Guidance on the website It’s about bringing AI into schools and classrooms in a fair and just manner. Schools still need expertise from industry experts in the community on how to help students make the most of rapidly growing technology.
“One of the things our members have been telling us over the past few years is, ‘This is here now and we need help,'” Candelaria said of artificial intelligence. It will “ensure that we consider how to bring AI into the classroom and ensure that public schools have adequate funding to provide not only the software and hardware but also the training they need to teach.” ” means to support. Educators. ”
In addition to having a roadmap for teaching AI content, Candelaria said infrastructure, internet connectivity, and attracting technology-savvy teachers are also major needs to ensure STEM education options for Latino students. I said that. He added that renovating 100-year-old schools with modern classrooms is difficult and that students, especially in rural areas, need help accessing the internet at home.
“Latinx students are coming to rural communities in record numbers, many of whom are moving to this country for the first time and lack academic ability. [internet] It’s infrastructure,” Candelaria said. “Being able to connect schools doesn’t help.” [but] I can’t connect with them in the community. If we don’t, all of our students will be left behind, especially in Latinx communities where more than 90 percent of students attend public schools. ”
The need for mentorship
Another theme that emerged from the panel discussion was the role mentorship played in the panelists’ journey into technical careers.
Geddes has relatives who work in the oil and gas industry, and he said he learned about the kinds of careers that pursuing engineering could offer. She was blessed with mentorship throughout her nearly 20 years at ExxonMobil, including access to the approximately 2,000 members of the company’s Latino employee group.
Elvia Ray said she chose an information management systems degree as an undergraduate because she said to herself, “I’m not smart enough to do that.” [computer] A serendipitous opportunity to do an IT internship at Fannie Mae changed her perspective.
“From that moment on, I was hooked, because I realized that being in IT is not just about programming,” she said. “I thought, “I can’t just sit in a corner typing code.” I’m a very social person, but this internship showed me that there are so many things in the IT industry where you can interact with customers and people. There are many types of careers.
Logreira said she and other members of the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s Hispanic Employees Group have organized conferences and campus visits with Latino students as part of increasing the visibility of Latinos in technology. said she is volunteering her time to join her colleagues in human resources.
“We’re trying to create a ‘we can do it’ mentality,” Logreira said. “The fact that I’m here today, I have to say, I realized that at some point someone had to give me something to talk about.”
