CCAM Junior Research Fellows and Faculty have had continuous engagement with Alliance middle school students and tracked the effect on academic performance.
- Through sustained interactions we have been able to measure the impact of activities on California Science Test (CAST) standardized test scores.
- 100 middle school students are introduced to fundamental concepts and societal impact of materials research in a series of 4 workshops prior to the annual CAST.
- The percentage of students not meeting CAST standard decreased significantly and was approximately 1/3 of that students in the entire state.
- Piquing the interest of middle school students in science and engineering and motivating them to perform well in scientific studies prepares them for STEM careers.