iSTEM to Know NASA Outreach Program at Purdue University Fort Wayne

Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW), a campus of Purdue University in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a public university with an approximate enrollment of 5,600 undergraduate and 700 graduate students of which approximately 400 are underrepresented minority students (URM) in STEM majors. Over the past decade the fall-to-fall retention rate of URM students has declined. These students are often first generation college students and typically have a lower GPA than non-URM students. With collaboration and funding from the Indiana Space Grant Consortium, the PFW Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiated a project to introduce NASA and aerospace-related STEM content to 40 undergraduate students from underrepresented populations within a program year. The Indiana Space Grant Consortium (INSGC) is part of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Project, a NASA Office of STEM Engagement program primarily focused on science and engineering education, research and public outreach efforts. The goals of the iSTEM project were to leverage interest in aerospace and space habitats to increase retention, support college STEM majors to consider entering the STEM workforce and/or a career with NASA, and enhance the presentation skills and professional development of students through presentation and communication workshops. A curriculum was developed by the project staff/faculty utilizing NASA STEM Education content and centered around aerospace careers/education including a robust overview of NASA missions and research. Through the use of guest speakers including life support system researchers and Indiana aerospace industry representatives and by virtual/in-person visits to NASA-related facilities, the students gained first-hand knowledge of the scope of NASA's work.