Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Olivia Hoover, and I am an undergraduate student at Florida State University majoring in Biomathematics and Public Health. I am from Boston, Massachusetts, and in the future I plan to earn my M.D. and practice as a physician. My academic interests include the impacts of social determinants of health on health status and outcomes, access to healthcare, and the promotion of education.

The Neighborhood Camp Fair

Abstract

Participation by primary and secondary school students in STEM enrichment programs can increase a student’s GPA and affinity for STEM topics (Bradford et. al 2021, Galvez et. al 2024). However, there exists a need to connect and engage underrepresented students with STEM enrichment programs. Therefore, the Neighborhood Camp Fair aims to connect STEM programs with students attending Title I schools in Tallahassee, FL. Some ways the project tries to connect with students include creating colorful posters, distributing them to local Title I schools and community centers in Tallahassee, and participating in local STEM nights at schools. Additionally, we also worked to determine the effectiveness of previous Camp Fairs. To do this, we analyzed information from previous attendees of the Camp Fair and organized it into an excel sheet. The results of this analysis showed that most students who attended the Camp Fair left interested in attending a STEM program in the future. Because of this increase, this project suggests that the Neighborhood Camp Fair is successful in connecting underrepresented students with free STEM programs. In the future, additional work is needed to continue to promote the Neighborhood Camp Fair and continue to connect students in Tallahassee with STEM programming.

Keywords: Community Outreach, STEM Education