Black Youth in STEM (BYiS) is an outreach program offered by Smith Engineering that teaches K-12 students Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in a culturally relevant, Black-positive, and student-centred learning environment. We foster excellence in STEM.
Black Youth in STEM operates on the principle that STEM education is for everyone. Like our faculty, Smith Engineering, we use a humanistic approach to programming that is oftentimes centred around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in addition to the Ontario Science and Technology Curriculum for K-12 students. This ensures that students understand and reflect on the impact that science and engineering have on people as well as the environment and resources.
Programming is delivered by trained teachers and Black-identifying engineering or science students attending Queen’s University. In addition to learning about various STEM topics and doing STEM activities, children also learn about the contributions of Black people around the world to STEM and are frequently introduced to Black guest professionals and university students, to provide them with good role models during our workshops.
We provide Black and racialized children with on-going access to a high quality of free STEM programming, which has caused a reduction in mental barriers towards STEM education and improvement in self-perception of their academic potential. These are issues that North American Black students often struggle with, which is further compounded by the low population of Blacks in Canada and the lack of STEM role models that are easily accessible to kids. Additionally, multi-disciplinary collaboration with various Queen’s University departments and faculties, in addition to repeatedly engaging local museums, have allowed for the delivery of high-impact experiential and exploratory learning experiences to Black youth.
In terms of our community building efforts, Black Youth in STEM has followed the teachings of the Indigenous Futures in Engineering unit (InEng), which has allowed for deeper relationships to be formed amongst families in the local community, as families get to know each other when students befriend each other. Our program is important to the children and families who participate in it because of the cognitive, psychosocial, and socioeconomic benefits that it offers. Black Youth in STEM is a fully sponsored program that gives Black families who may face economic barriers access to a high quality of STEM programming and equally important, reduces feelings of alienation in students who often face racial microaggressions, and even stratification due to their skin colour. Our workshops by nature represent a melting pot of cultures that teach students how to effectively operate and thrive in a multicultural environment.