iCREAT: A pathway to middle-skill positions through the Introduction to Coding, Robotics, Electronics, And Technology

This project at Massachusetts Bay Community College (MBCC) establishes a STEM pathway towards middle-skill careers in electronics and associated technology. The plan starts by targeting high school students during the junior year and provides a program leading to certification and/or associates degrees. This project aims to address state of Massachusetts and national workforce needs for trained technicians. The program therefore engages high school-aged youth and community college students in learning electronics, coding, and engineering design and manufacturing through an interdisciplinary project-based approach that serves as a launching point along technical career pathways such as information technology technical hardware support, computer numerical control (CNC) operation, computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM), and others. The project is designed to broaden participation by recruiting, retaining, and preparing students from underrepresented populations in STEM. To attract and engage students, the project is creating a year-long course sequence co-taught by MBCC STEM faculty from multiple departments. The courses are designed to mirror learning and work in the workplace by engaging students in applying critical thinking skills and leveraging technical knowledge and skills from many content areas. The courses, available for college credit for high school students in the junior to senior years, allow the students to get a head start on post-secondary education and retain admitted MBCC students in STEM fields. Partnerships with local organizations and industry will help provide career guidance and find internship opportunities for students. A web-based mentoring program will aid retention by connecting participants with STEM professionals.

The project has a research goal to provide the community with an evidence-based model around how program components support or do not support students to pursue a STEM career pathway. The study focuses on the role of intentionality and adaptability as optimal outcomes of engaging in STEM education. Using an expanded version of Navarro's (et alia, 2007) Math/Science Intentions and Goals Scale and Savickas' & Porfeli's (2012) Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, the project is studying 1) intention, referring to "orientation toward action," by examining intentions to pursue a STEM career pathway and to actively consider STEM careers and 2) career adaptability which is a psychosocial construct denoting an individual's resources of self-regulation or capacity for coping with tasks, transitions, and traumas in occupational roles. A key hypothesis is that the interventions will enhance individuals' skills for self-regulation and will develop their capacity to internalize these skills.