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Science & Technology MESA Day
February 23, 2013
Project ASCENCION
Oxnard College’s Title V STEM grant
Evaluation Report – 7/17/2013
Submitted to
Dr. Cynthia Herrera
Title V STEM Director, Project ASCENCION
Prepared by
Myley Dang
2
Project “ASCENSION” Oxnard College, in cooperation with California State University
Channel Islands (CSUCI), University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), Oxnard School
District (OSD), and Oxnard Union High School District (OUHSD) set as one of its goals to
continue to establish an early readiness awareness framework for STEM degrees among
Hispanic students.
Under Project “ASCENSION,” a one-day event took place at the University of California, Santa
Barbara (UCSB), called Science and Technology MESA Day (S&T MESA Day). This event
served middle school and high school students and their parents in the Oxnard School District
and Oxnard Union High School District. Aiming to increase students’ interest and motivation in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, the event exposed
students to science through project-based STEM activities, workshops, and competitions.
During these project-based activities, workshops, and competitions, students experienced aspects
of the design process, including developing initial project designs, testing them using problem
solving and critical thinking, and subsequently revising their initial project designs—all of which
are skills desired in STEM disciplines. Also, students learned about preparation for attendance at
4-year colleges and universities; in particular, how to apply for institutions of higher education
and for financial aid.
Concentrating on both event implementation and improvement, the S&T MESA Day was
evaluated using surveys. Student and staff and volunteer survey responses were assessed in this
report. Results indicated that the students, staff, and volunteers tended to respond favorably to
all components of the event. Also, the students, staff, and volunteers made some comments on
how to improve the event, including having more workshops and better organization.
Additionally, the evaluator provided other recommendations on how to improve the
implementation of the event, data collection, and reporting for future events and programs.
Executive Summary
3
Under Oxnard College’s Title V STEM grant (“Project ASCENCION”), a one-day STEM and
college readiness event was held at UCSB on February 23, 2013. Prior to participating in S&T
MESA Day, students were already affiliated with the MESA program. The S&T MESA Day is
one of many events hosted by the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA)
Program. MESA’s mission statement is as follows: “To create opportunities for educationally
disadvantaged students, especially those from groups with low participation rates in college, to
prepare for and enter professions requiring degrees in engineering and other mathematics-based
scientific fields.” Through their MESA advisors, students and their parents were offered the
opportunity of participating in the S&T MESA Day.
PARTICIPANTS
Students from participating Oxnard schools attended the S&T MESA Day. Students from the
following middle schools attended: Frank Intermediate School, Fremont Intermediate School,
Haydock Intermediate School. Students from the following high schools also attended S&T
MESA Day: Channel Islands High School, Hueneme High School, Oxnard High School, and
Pacifica High School. Some parents of these students also attended the S&T MESA Day.
EVENT DESCRIPTION
EVENT MISSION
S&T MESA Day brought underrepresented, first-generation college-bound students and their
families to UCSB for a day full of hands-on STEM activities, workshops, and competitions that
aimed to generate interest in STEM fields. Students were also exposed to speakers and college
preparation workshops that emphasized the importance of going to college and attaining a
college degree.
Background
4
EVENT GOALS
Centered at UCSB, the S&T MESA Day was facilitated by the MESA Assistant Director, Phyllis
Brady. This event intended to achieve the following three goals:
1. Students experience science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through project-
based workshops, activities, and competitions.
2. Students and parents learn about applying for college and for financial aid.
3. Students increase their interest in and motivation to learn more about STEM topics and
higher education.
STEM WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES
STEM workshops followed the engineering design process and the learning of the students was
fostered by their ability to test and revise their initial project designs. The S&T MESA Day
included the following STEM workshops and activities:
1. Build Your Own Battery-Powered Car! 10. Marshmallow Catapults
2. Build Your Own Speaker 11. Marine REEF Tour
3. Build a Solar Powered Car 12. Planet Hunting
4. How to Get Into College 13. Reaction in a Bag
5. Do you have Night Vision? 14. Space Slime
6. Design your own Aircraft! 15. Scratch Programming
7. Electric Motor 16. Tinfoil Boats
8. Household Chemistry 17. UCSB Research Lab Tours
9. Kelp Beads
The workshops are described in further detail in the program in Appendix A.
5
MESA COMPETITIONS
Throughout the academic year, students work on STEM projects and receive guidance from their
MESA. Students bring their final projects to compete at S&T MESA Day. The competitions
were divided among middle schools and high schools. The MESA competitions held at the S&T
MESA Day included the following:
Middle School Competitions:
High School Competitions:
Prosthetic Arm Oral Presentations Prosthetic Arm Oral Presentations
Prosthetic Arm Academic Display Prosthetic Arm Academic Display
Prosthetic Arm Performance Tasks Prosthetic Arm Performance Tasks
Prosthetic Arm Testing Prosthetic Arm Testing (Completion)
Mousetrap Car - Distance Mousetrap Car Accuracy
Stick Together (Bridge Testing) Civil Structures (Bridge Testing)
Wright Stuff Glider Wright Stuff Glider
EggXpress Drop EggXpress Drop
Speak Up Speak Easy
Model Science - The Eye Model Science - Human Brain
Robotics Challenge: Sumo Robotics Challenge
Robotics Challenge: Tug-o-War
6
PROTOCOL
This evaluation will provide information to help to improve this event in future years. Thus, this
evaluation is a formative process evaluation – formative in the sense that the evaluation is being
conducted for the purpose of program improvement and process in the sense that the evaluation
will examine the event’s implementation, but not the effectiveness of the event.
This evaluation measures the event’s implementation through the administration of surveys to
staff, volunteers, and middle school and high school students involved in the MESA program.
The surveys include both closed-ended (i.e., Likert-scale items, multiple choice) and open-ended
response questions and statements. Results from the student and staff and volunteer surveys will
suggest ways in which the event can be subsequently improved in the future, and will offer
evidence of what went well, what did not go well, and reasons behind the perceived successes
and shortcomings of the event. A descriptive analysis of the Likert-scale items will disclose
participants’ overall impressions of the event and specific views towards different components of
the event, as well as their feelings of learning, attitudinal, and anticipated behavioral changes due
to event participation. Open-ended questions and statements elicit responses that can be used for
both implementation and event improvement.
Student, staff, and volunteer responses are analyzed in this report. The survey instruments
administered to the students and staff and volunteers are found in Appendices B and C,
respectively. In addition, a Spanish version of the student survey was distributed during the S&T
MESA Day; however, none of these surveys were returned.
All surveys were in paper form and were completed on the day of the event. Student surveys
were administered on the bus ride home to their schools. MESA advisors and teachers (i.e., staff)
also filled out the staff and volunteer surveys on the bus ride home. University student helpers
(i.e., volunteers) were asked to fill out the staff and volunteer surveys when they signed out of
their volunteering shift.
Evaluation
7
ANALYSES AND RESULTS
The following protocol was used in conducting the analyses of both the Student Survey and Staff
and Volunteer Survey:
1. Multiple responses where there is only one required response were coded as “Multiple
Responses”. These responses were not examined in detail as it suggests that these items
were confusing to the students, staff, and volunteers, and therefore their validity should
be questionable. For example, on the student surveys, there is a question asking the level
of English proficiency, with the following responses: (1) English Learner, (2) Fluent
English Proficient, (3) Decline to State/ Don’t Know. If a student marked more than one
response, then that response was coded as “Multiple Responses.”
2. Multiple responses marked on the Likert-scale items were averaged. For instance, if a
respondent marked a 3 and 4 on a Likert-scale item, their response was coded as 3.5.
3. Blank items were removed from the data set and these observations were coded as
missing.
4. Not applicable (N/A) responses were also not analyzed, since the purpose of this
evaluation is to determine students’ perceptions of the event in order to evaluate its
implementation and propose improvements for the future.
STUDENT SURVEYS: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
There were 301 students who completed the survey. Students were asked to report their grade
level, gender, race/ethnicity, English proficiency, and generation status (i.e., first-generation or
second-generation college-bound student). Students had the option to respond “Other” or
“Decline to State/ Don’t Know” if they did not feel inclined to respond to the question.
The demographics of students are listed below in Tables 1 and 2. As displayed in Table 1, the
majority of students who attended the S&T MESA Day were Hispanics, which accounted for
approximately 69% of the student participants. This is important to note since one of the goals of
Project “ASCENSION” is to increase the number of Hispanic students going into STEM fields.
There were about 14% Asian students, 7% with two or more races, and about 4% of students
who declined to state or did not know their race/ethnicity.
8
Table 1
Race/Ethnicity of Student Participants
Race/Ethnicity Count Percent
American-Indian/Alaska Native 2 0.7%
Asian 43 14.3%
Black or African American 2 0.7%
Hispanic 208 69.1%
White 5 1.7%
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 2 0.7%
Other 6 2.0%
Decline to State/Don't Know 11 3.7%
Two or More Races 20 6.6%
Missing 2 0.7%
Total 301 100.0%
As shown in Table 2, there were more male students than female students that attended the S&T
MESA Day, with 52% males and 45% females, which can be seen in Table 2. Students who did
not fill in a response were coded as “Missing”. There were 2% of students who marked “Other”
and less than 1% who marked “Decline to State/Don’t Know.”
Table 2
Gender of Student Participants
Gender Count Percentage
Male 157 52.2%
Female 136 45.2%
Other 3 1.0%
Decline to State/Don't Know 2 0.7%
Missing 3 1.0%
Total 301 100.0%
9
Students were also asked to report their grade level, whether they were in grades K-8, 9-11 or 12.
The breakdown of students by grade level is presented in Table 3, where 38% of students were
from middle schools and approximately 60% of students were from high schools. Students who
did not fill in a response were coded as “Missing”.
Table 3
Grade Level of Student Participants
Grade Level Count Percent
Grades K-8 115 38.2%
Grades 9-11 110 36.5%
Grade 12 70 23.3%
Missing 6 2.0%
Total 301 100.0%
Students were also asked to indicate their level of English proficiency. Table 4 shows that there
were about 80% of Fluent English Proficient (FEP) students, 10% English Learners (EL), and
9% of students who declined to state or did not know. This question required one response. Thus,
students who marked multiple responses were coded as “Multiple Responses.”
Table 4
English Proficiency Level of Student Participants
English Proficiency Level Count Percent
English Learner 30 10.0%
Fluent English Proficient 240 79.7%
Decline to State/Don't Know 26 8.6%
Multiple Responses 1 0.3%
Missing 4 1.3%
Total 301 100.0%
High school senior students were asked about their plans after high school. The results of this
response are illustrated in Table 5. Among the 70 high school seniors surveyed, 69 students
10
responded to this question. Students who marked both “I have applied to a 4-year college or
university” and “I have been accepted to a 4-year college or university” were coded as being
accepted to a 4-year college or university, since the latter implies the former. Students who
marked more than these two responses for this question were coded as “Multiple Responses.”
There were about 21% of students who applied to a four-year college or university and 54% of
students who have been accepted to a four-year college or university. There were about 16% of
student participants who plan to enroll in a community college when they graduate from high
school. Only one student indicated that they do not plan on going to college after high school.
Table 5
Senior Plans after High School
Senior Plans Count Percent
I plan to enroll in Community College 11 15.7%
I have applied to a 4-year college or university 15 21.4%
I have been accepted to a 4-year college or university 38 54.3%
I do not plan on going to college after high school 1 1.4%
Multiple Responses 4 5.7%
Missing 1 1.4%
Total 70 100.0%
Students were also asked about their generation status. Table 6 presents the results of the
students’ generation status. There were about 48% of students who are first-generation college
bound students and 30% are second-generation college bound students. It is unclear why there
are second-generation college bound students, given that one of the enrollment requirements of
MESA is to be a first-generation college bound student. Students who marked multiple responses
were coded as “Multiple Responses.”
11
Table 6
Generation Status of Student Participants
Generation Status Count Percent
First generation 144 47.8%
Second generation 91 30.2%
Decline to State/Don't Know 33 11.0%
Multiple Responses 3 1.0%
Missing 30 10.0%
Total 301 100.0%
The following section will describe the students’ event perceptions using Likert-scale items.
EVENT PERCEPTIONS: LIKERT-SCALE ITEM RESPONSES FROM STUDENT SURVEY
Using surveys, students were asked to report their attitudes and perceptions toward several
components of the S&T MESA Day, including the organization of the event overall, workshops
(both STEM and college readiness), activities, transit between the workshops, visiting a college
campus, and time with college staff and volunteers.
In addition, students self-reported their anticipated attitudinal and behavioral changes resulting
from participation in the event. For instance, they reported the degree in which the event
increased their interest and awareness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) fields and careers. Students also self-reported the degree in which the event influenced
their academic planning and future plans.
There were 17 items analyzed on a 1-5 Likert scale, with a response of 1 indicating that the
student strongly disagreed with the statement and a response of 5 signifying that the student
strongly agreed with the statement. Also, students had the option to respond not applicable
(N/A) to these statements.
12
RESULTS
The survey items were grouped under the following three categories: Overall Program, Students’
Academic Planning, and Students’ Future Plans. These results are displayed in Tables 7, 8, and
9, respectively. Please see Appendix B for the complete Likert-scale statements. N represents
the number of observations (i.e., the number of responses meeting the inclusion criteria - see
protocol above on page 7). Minimum and maximum are the lowest and highest scores,
respectively. The mean is the average of all included responses and the standard deviation shows
the variation in the data.
Table 7 displays the items describing the overall program, where the mean of all of the items
except for one – “It was easy to get to and from the different workshops” - was higher than four.
These findings suggest that students had very positive views of the S&T MESA Day. The
descriptive analyses of the Likert-scale statements indicated that students perceived the S&T
MESA Day was well organized overall and that they enjoyed the activities, workshops, and
visiting a college campus. Also, the findings illustrate that students saw the value of the activities
and workshops and found the information to be helpful. The results also suggest that students
perceived the event increased their interest and awareness of STEM fields and careers. The only
item with a mean below a four was the ease of getting to and from the different workshops.
Some students expressed their perceptions on this item in further detail in the open-ended
comments, where they described their favorite part of the day and ways to improve the event. An
analysis of these open-ended comments will be discussed in the following section.
Table 8 displays the items describing students’ academic planning, where the mean of only one
item was higher than four. This suggests that students agreed they were introduced to the
different STEM majors in college (i.e., the item with a mean above a 4). Three of the four items
had a mean that was less than four, implying that students were not as aware of the A-G course
requirements, how to apply to college and the types of classes required in college. Some possible
explanations for these results may be that these students did not attend the college readiness
workshops or did not interact with college student volunteers to ask about them about college.
13
Table 7
Descriptive Statistics for Overall Program
Items Describing the Overall Program N Min Max Mean SD
This S&T MESA Day overall was well organized. 297 1 5 4.14 0.83
This S&T MESA Day made me more interested in math,
engineering, and/or science.
298 1 5 4.04 0.91
This S&T MESA Day made me more aware of math,
engineering, and/or science subjects and careers.
291 1 5 4.07 0.86
It was easy to get to and from the different workshops. 290 1 5 3.93 0.97
The workshops gave me information that is helpful. 290 1 5 4.01 0.92
The activities gave me information that is helpful. 292 1 5 4.00 0.89
I enjoyed the activities included in the S&T MESA Day. 296 1 5 4.34 0.82
I enjoyed visiting a college campus. 294 1 5 4.48 0.72
Table 8
Descriptive Statistics for Students’ Academic Planning
Items Describing Students’ Academic Planning N Min Max Mean SD
This S&T MESA Day made me more aware of the A-G
course requirements for CSU/UC eligibility.
283 1 5 3.43 1.08
This S&T MESA Day helped me understand how to apply
to college.
286 1 5 3.45 1.08
This S&T MESA Day introduced me to what kinds of
classes are required in college.
283 1 5 3.59 1.06
This S&T MESA Day introduced me to different science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses and
majors that I could study in college.
291 1 5 4.02 0.94
Table 9 displays the items describing students’ future plans, where the mean of all of the items
except for one – “Attending this S&T MESA Day has made me more interested in taking college
14
preparatory classes.” - was higher than four. The results suggest that students perceived the
event increased their interest in going to college after high school, studying STEM majors in
college, and pursuing a STEM career after college.
Table 9
Descriptive Statistics for Students’ Future Plans
Items Describing Students’ Future Plans N Min Max Mean SD
Attending this S&T MESA Day has made me more
interested in taking college preparatory classes.
293 1 5 3.89 0.96
Attending this S&T MESA Day has made me more
interested in going to college after high school.
297 1 5 4.17 0.87
Attending this S&T MESA Day has made me more
interested in studying math, science, and/or engineering
in college.
297 1 5 4.10 0.89
Attending this S&T MESA Day has made me more
interested in pursuing a career in math, science, and/or
engineering.
294 1 5 4.04 0.93
The open-ended response results presented in the following section supported the Likert-scale
item response findings, but also provided information on how to improve the S&T MESA Day
and the specific workshops, activities, and competitions attended.
STUDENT SURVEYS: OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES
Students responded to open-ended questions and statements asking them about their overall
impressions of the event and the workshops, including what went well and what could be
improved. Specifically, students wrote down their perceptions of their favorite part(s) of the S&T
MESA Day and how S&T MESA Day could be improved. Since this evaluation is focused on
event implementation and improvement, common and unique responses from students on what
went well and how to improve various components of the event are highlighted below.
What was your favorite part of this S&T MESA Day?
o The most common response from students regarding the favorite part of the day
was the workshops and activities. Many students indicated that they enjoyed the
15
workshops and activities, specifically the liquid nitrogen ice cream making,
building a solar powered car, space slime, household chemistry, UCSB research
lab tours, scratch programming, marine reef tour, and reaction in a bag. Students
also enjoyed the competitions, particularly the EggXpress drop, gliders, bridge
testing, tug-o-war robots, and mousetrap cars. Other favorite parts of the day
included lunch and lunch time activities, campus tour, interacting with college
students, the awards ceremony, and having fun. Some common responses from
the students include the following (misspellings are preserved):
“Doing workshops because it was fun.”
“Lunch! Viewing all the different programs.”
“I liked being able to walk around campus and do workshops. I also liked
the one-on-one experience of having a college student as a guide.”
“Talking to students about college”
“campus tour!”
“The award ceremony”
“Winning a medal”
o Some unique responses from the students include the following (misspellings are
preserved):
“I loved it you guys are awesome and making learning fun!”
“Learning about technology and science”
“The activities college students offered”
“getting to see all the projects”
“Exploring the college experience”
“Everything”
How could we improve the S&T MESA Day?
o The most common response from students regarding how to improve the day was
the perceived lack of organization of the event. Many students indicated that they
would have liked to see more organization such as having maps and/or directions
around campus, having a more organized staff, and organize competition judges
better. Students also would like to see more workshops and activities and having
a different variety of workshops. One student indicated that the workshops were
16
the same as last year’s and would have liked to see different workshops this year.
Students would like to see more reef tours offered since it was very popular.
Students also suggested having a better navigation of workshops and suggested
having workshops closer together. Students suggested having bigger classrooms
and space to conduct the workshops and activities, as well as having sufficient
number of supplies for students. Another common response was the quality and
quantity of food during lunch time. One student suggested having more food or
snacks throughout the day. Students also wanted to have longer lunch breaks and
receive MESA T-shirts. In addition, students wanted to interact more with the
college students and have them talk about their college experience. A few
students suggested making the day longer. Some students felt that the day went
well and there were no improvements necessary. Some common responses from
the students include the following (misspellings are preserved):
“Be more organized”
“I think having directions written around the campus.”
“More variety and choice of times to attend events”
“More food at end of day”
“Better food”
“Shirts. Food variety”
“talk about the future & how we (this generation) will improve society”
“Talk more about the fields of math scien, and engineering, especially to
the Middle School Kids.”
“Be more open and bond more with students.”
“To make the day longer”
“You don't have to improve. You guys were perfect.”
o Some unique responses from the students include the following (misspellings are
preserved):
“By making workshops have more students helping”
“Talk more about classes are required”
“Bring back closing ceremony at Campbell Hall! Better informed
volunteers. Recruitment stuff”
17
“Get regular team math quest!”
Other comments
o Students had the opportunity to write any additional comments at the end of the
survey. Generally speaking, students enjoyed the experience they had at the S&T
MESA Day. Some students would have liked to see more and different workshops
as well as have the rules explained better in the workshops and competitions.
o Some common responses from the students include the following (misspellings
are preserved):
“It was all fun and amazing”
“I loved MESA day”
“The offered workshops were the same as last year's, or similar to last
year’s MESA Day. It would be great to offer new ones.”
“Please explain the rules better in civil structures”
o Some unique responses from the students include the following (misspellings are
preserved):
“Mesa, mesa que mas aplauda”
“This year was my first year in MESA and I really enjoyed it and had a
great time.”
“I'm deffentley coming back next year! I LOVE MESA!!!”
“I am very greatful for this experience that has revealed the essence of
engineering.”
“Better than last year.”
“I really enjoy the MESA Program. I hope UCSB continues to participate
in MESA”
“Desirable workshops like reef study only have one time slot. This made it
impossible to attend”
“The lady did not let us go on the reef tour and that made me
upset.”
The students’ open-ended responses suggest that although the event was perceived to be a
success for some students, there is room for event improvement. For instance, many student
comments indicated that the S&T MESA Day would have been better with more workshops and
18
activities. In addition, during the workshops, lots of students indicated that they would have
liked more time, more space, and more volunteers. There were also specific recommendations
made on how to improve the event. The comment about “The lady did not let us go on the reef
tour and that made me upset” could be due to the limited number of students that could attend the
tour and the fact there was only one time slot available for the reef tour. More recommendations
on how to improve the event will be discussed in the conclusion and recommendations section.
In terms of the implementation of this event, there were mixed sentiments expressed about the
level of organization. On the one hand, students said that more helpers/volunteers would have
been useful, the food could have been more ample or better, and there could have been more
interaction with college students. On the other hand, there were many student responses where
they articulated how great the event was, suggesting that the level of organization was at least
satisfactory. Students wrote these positive comments both in the favorite part(s) of the day
section, as well as in the improvement section. These findings will be further summarized in the
discussion section.
The following section examines the responses from the staff and volunteers surveys.
STAFF AND VOLUNTEER SURVEYS: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
There were 65 staff and volunteers who completed the survey. Staff and volunteers were asked to
report their race/ethnicity, gender, and their role(s) during the S&T MESA Day. In reporting
their race/ethnicity, staff and volunteers had the option to check all that applied. As displayed in
Table 10, there were approximately 39% Asians, 31% Hispanics, 12% White, 8% Black or
African American, and 6% of staff and volunteers with two or more races.
19
Table 10
Race/Ethnicity of Staff and Volunteers
Race/Ethnicity Count Percent
Asian 25 38.5%
Black or African American 5 7.7%
Hispanic 20 30.8%
White 8 12.3%
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 1 1.5%
Other 1 1.5%
Two or More Races 4 6.2%
Missing 1 1.5%
Total 65 100.0%
Table 11 shows there were more female staff and volunteers than males, with approximately
54% females and 46% males.
Table 11
Gender of Staff and Volunteers
Gender Count Percentage
Male 30 46.2%
Female 35 53.8%
Total 65 100.0%
Table 12 displays the different roles that staff and volunteers held during the S&T MESA Day.
This question allowed respondents to check all roles that apply, thus the total is more than the
total number of staff and volunteers. The percentage was calculated out of 65, which is the total
number of staff and volunteers. However, because some staff and volunteers marked multiple
responses, the total percentage is above 100%. Based on all the different roles, approximately
74% were volunteers, 17% were MESA advisors, 9% were MESA staff, 8% were teachers, and
5% were judges.
20
Table 12
Roles of Staff and Volunteers during S&T MESA Day
Role Count Percent
MESA Staff 6 9.2%
Volunteer 48 73.8%
Judge 3 4.6%
MESA Advisor 11 16.9%
Teacher 5 7.7%
Total 73 112.3%
Table 13 illustrates a more descriptive role type of the staff and volunteers. There were about
74% of staff and volunteers who were four-year university undergraduate students, 22% were K-
12 staff, 3% were four-year university graduate students, and 1.5% were other.
Table 13
Role Type of Staff and Volunteers during S&T MESA Day
Role Type Count Percent
K-12 Staff 14 21.5%
4-year University Undergraduate Student 48 73.8%
4-year University Graduate Student 2 3.1%
Other 1 1.5%
Total 65 100.0%
The following section will describe the staff and volunteers’ event perceptions using Likert-scale
items.
EVENT PERCEPTIONS: LIKERT-SCALE ITEM RESPONSES FROM STAFF AND
VOLUNTEERS SURVEY
21
Using surveys, staff and volunteers were asked to report their attitudes and perceptions toward
several components of the S&T MESA Day, including the organization of the day, set up and
take down process, lunch, opening ceremony, closing ceremony, activities, workshops, and
competitions. Staff and volunteers were also asked about the transit between the workshops, and
the degree in which they enjoyed the activities, workshops, and competitions in the S&T MESA
Day. In addition, staff and volunteers self-reported their confidence in their role prior to the
event and throughout the day of the event. Also, staff and volunteers were asked their level of
preparedness in addressing questions from students, parents, MESA advisors, and other staff.
There were a total of 23 scale items, where 20 items were intended for both staff and volunteers,
and three items were included for volunteers only. The 23 items were analyzed on a 1-5 Likert
scale, with a response of 1 indicating that the staff member/volunteer strongly disagreed with the
statement and a response of 5 signifying that the staff member/volunteer strongly agreed with the
statement. Also, staff and volunteers had the option to respond not applicable (N/A) to these
statements.
RESULTS
The survey items were grouped under the following three categories: Overall Program, Role, and
Volunteers. These results are displayed in Tables 14, 15, and 16, respectively. Please see
Appendix C for the complete Likert-scale statements. N represents the number of observations
(i.e., the number of responses meeting the inclusion criteria - see protocol above on page 7).
Minimum and maximum are the lowest and highest scores, respectively. The mean is the average
of all included responses and the standard deviation shows the variation in the data.
Table 14 displays the items describing the overall program, where the mean of all of the items
was higher than four. These findings suggest that staff and volunteers had positive views of the
S&T MESA Day. The descriptive analyses of the Likert-scale statements indicated that staff and
volunteers perceived the S&T MESA Day was well organized in terms of the overall day, set up
process, take down process, lunch, opening and closing ceremony, activities, workshops, and
competitions. Unlike the student participants, staff and volunteers perceived it was easy to get to
and from the different workshops. This might be due to the fact that volunteers were holding
signs on pickets and directing students where to go for the next session. The findings also
22
illustrate that staff and volunteers enjoyed the workshops, activities, and competitions included
in the S&T MESA Day. Some staff and volunteers expressed their perceptions in further detail
in the open-ended comments, where they described their favorite part of the day and ways to
improve the event. An analysis of these open-ended comments will be discussed in the following
section.
Table 14
Descriptive Statistics for Overall Program
Items Describing the Overall Program N Min Max Mean SD
This S&T MESA Day overall was well organized. 65 2 5 4.31 0.68
The set up process was well organized. 59 3 5 4.31 0.68
The take down process was well organized. 45 3 5 4.27 0.65
Lunch was well organized. 58 4 5 4.52 0.50
The opening ceremony was well organized. 42 3 5 4.26 0.70
The closing ceremony was well organized. 42 3 5 4.26 0.59
It was easy to get to and from the different workshops. 58 1 5 4.16 0.88
The workshops were well organized. 59 3 5 4.32 0.65
The activities were well organized. 57 3 5 4.32 0.63
The competitions were well organized. 49 2 5 4.24 0.69
I enjoyed the workshops included in the S&T MESA Day. 51 3 5 4.55 0.54
I enjoyed the activities included in the S&T MESA Day. 54 3 5 4.52 0.54
I enjoyed the competitions included in the S&T MESA Day. 48 3 5 4.50 0.55
The items displayed in Table 15 describe the extent to which the staff and volunteers felt
confident in their roles. As displayed in Table 15, all but one of the items – “I knew what to do
for my role(s) prior to S&T MESA Day” – had a mean that was higher than four. This suggests
that generally speaking, staff and volunteers knew what their role throughout the day and felt
confident in their role and in answering questions from students, parents, MESA advisors, and
other staff. The item with a mean of 3.88 might be possibly explained by the fact that staff and
volunteers did not attend the volunteer training session, and thus did not know what their role
was prior to the event. This will be discussed in more detail in the following section.
23
Table 15
Descriptive Statistics for Staff and Volunteers’ Role
Items Describing Staff and Volunteers’ Role N Min Max Mean SD
I knew what to do for my role(s) prior to S&T MESA Day. 65 1 5 3.88 1.01
I knew what to do for my role(s) throughout the day. 64 1 5 4.13 0.72
I was confident in my role(s) throughout the day. 62 3 5 4.19 0.67
I was well prepared to answer questions from students. 64 2 5 4.06 0.81
I was well prepared to answer questions from parents. 56 3 5 4.07 0.71
I was well prepared to answer questions from MESA advisors. 51 3 5 4.14 0.69
I was well prepared to answer questions from other staff. 53 3 5 4.21 0.60
One of the program event sponsors, Los Ingenieros, a UCSB student organization that aims to
promote professionalism, leadership, and community outreach for all math, science, and
engineering majors, held two volunteer training sessions the week prior to the S&T MESA Day.
These sessions were intended to inform volunteers on various ways to help out during the S&T
MESA Day, which included directing students through campus, helping deliver lunch, assisting
with the workshops, and being positive role models for the K-12 student participants.
Table 16 displays items for volunteers to respond to only. Since this evaluation focuses on the
implementation of the S&T MESA Day and not the volunteer session, there was not a detailed
analysis of the implementation of the volunteer session, aside from the three items in Table 16.
As displayed in Table 16, volunteers felt that it was easy to sign up to be a volunteer, with a
mean of 4.61. One of the items asked volunteers whether or not the students attended the
volunteer training. This item is a little flawed in the sense that it was written on a 1-5 Likert-
scale, when it could be answered with a “yes” or “no” response. Thus, responses were coded in
the following manner: Volunteers who responded “Agree (4)” or “Strongly Agree (5)” were
coded as attending the training session. On the other hand, volunteers who responded Strongly
Disagree (1), Disagree (2), Neutral (3), and N/A were coded as not attending the training session.
There was a total of 42 volunteers who responded to this statement, however, using this coding
24
scheme, it is concluded that there were 25 volunteers who attended the training. These volunteers
who attended the session felt the volunteer training session to be somewhat useful, with a mean
of 3.82.
Table 16
Descriptive Statistics for Volunteers Only
Items for Volunteers’ Only N Min Max Mean SD
It was easy to sign up to be a volunteer. 49 4 5 4.61 0.49
I attended the volunteer training. 42 1 5 3.48 1.61
I found the volunteer training to be very useful. 34 1 5 3.82 1.00
The open-ended response results presented in the following section supported the Likert-scale
item response findings, but also provided information on staff and volunteers’ favorite part of the
day and suggestions on how to improve the S&T MESA Day.
STAFF AND VOLUNTEER SURVEYS: OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES
Staff and volunteers responded to open-ended questions and statements asking them about their
overall impressions of the event and the workshops, including what went well and what could be
improved. Specifically, students wrote down their perceptions of their favorite part(s) of the S&T
MESA Day and how the S&T MESA Day could be improved. Since this evaluation is focused
on event implementation and improvement, common and unique responses from staff and
volunteers on how to improve various components of the event are highlighted below.
What was your favorite part of this S&T MESA Day?
o The most common response from staff and volunteers regarding their favorite part
of S&T MESA Day included the workshops, activities, competitions, interacting
with students, lunch and lunch time activities, seeing students’ enthusiasm and
encouragement for other students, and attending the opening ceremony. Several
staff and volunteers noted the workshops, activities, and competitions were very
interesting and they enjoyed watching the students participate in the various
events. In particular, volunteers noted that it was fun interacting with students
25
during the workshops and lunch, as well as encouraging students to go into the
sciences. One staff member noted that it was fun seeing their old students again
during the S&T MESA Day. Some common responses from the staff and
volunteers include the following (misspellings are preserved):
“Helping out and trying to encourage kids to go into the sciences.
Especially interacting with the kids during lunch.”
“Lunch time, when I got to interact with the students”
“My favorite part was seeing the studnets compete in their competitions,
it's great to see their projects in action.”
o Some unique responses from the staff and volunteers include the following
(misspellings are preserved):
“1. Key note speaker was inspiring/ skit. 2. UCSB enrollment director was
very enthusiastic and effective at her invitation to students.”
“It was something I did when I was in middle/high school so it's cool to
give back.”
“Seeing the excitement of the younger students as they saw their projects
being tested.”
“My favorite part of the day was when I led the students to the robotics
and solor powered car workshop comp. I was fascinated to see all the
wonderful projects they have been working on along with their enthusiasm
for learning.”
How could we improve the S&T MESA Day?
o Similar to the students’ comments on ways to improve the event, the most
common response from staff and volunteers regarding how to improve the day
was the perceived lack of organization of the event. Staff and volunteers also
noted having more and better workshops or activities, having more schools
participate in the S&T MESA Day, having better food, and having better hygiene.
Staff and volunteers noted that the event could have been more organized and
provided suggestions on how to improve such as having better communication,
having better volunteer coordination, providing clearer notes for volunteers prior
to S&T MESA Day on what to do, making the transition between workshops run
26
more smoothly, and gathering escorts ahead of time to ensure they know the
location of the workshop/competition and the maximum number of students per
workshop. Staff and volunteers also suggested making workshops longer and
having more workshops that students are most interested in. Some staff and
volunteers also suggested having more interactions between K-12 students and
college students. In addition, staff and volunteers proposed changing the lunch
menu every year and having a better hospitality room. Some staff members
suggested volunteers be more hygienic and not lick the ice cream spoon before
serving students. Although there were many comments on ways to improve the
S&T MESA Day, some staff and volunteers stated that there were no
improvements necessary. Some common responses from the staff and volunteers
include the following (misspellings are preserved):
“Organization and efficiency was good but can always be improved.
Overall though, everything ran very smoothly.”
“Perhaps being a bit more organized with tasks, etc would make the
program run more smoothly. Also, a short training on the kinds of projects
they are working on to be more informed.”
“More volunteer coordination, which volunteers are supposed to go
where”
“More communication between everyone. Sometimes it felt hectic and
chaotic.”
“Mesa Day seemed really good to me. No improvements necessary.”
o Some unique responses from the staff and volunteers include the following
(misspellings are preserved):
“Have a little more creative activities”
“Maybe have more of a standard for workshops to make sure they're all
fun and engaging and accomplish the goals of encouraging students to
pursue STEM majors or college degrees.”
“Trying to incorporate more student interaction with the college students
and the participants.”
“Better hospitality room; T shirts”
27
Other comments
o Staff and volunteers had the opportunity to write any additional comments at the
end of the survey. Besides the perceived lack of organization, staff and volunteers
overall liked attending the S&T MESA Day and had a great experience. Some
common responses from the students include the following (misspellings are
preserved):
“This is really a great opportunity for studnets. Thanks to all organizers
and volunteers. Mucho gracias!”
“Keep up the good work!”
o Some unique responses from the students include the following (misspellings are
preserved):
“Have more designated coordinators that volunteers know to report to so
they're always doing things and know how to do it well.”
The staff and volunteers’ open-ended responses suggest that although the event was perceived to
be a success for some, there is room for event improvement. There were many comments
indicating that the S&T MESA Day was great overall but could be improved with more
organization, more activities and workshops, better communication, and better volunteer
coordination. In terms of the implementation of this event, there were mixed feelings expressed
about the level of organization. On the one hand, staff and volunteers said that there could have
been more organization in terms of communication and transit to and from workshops, better
food, and more interaction with college students. On the other hand, there were many staff and
volunteer responses where they articulated how great the event was, suggesting that the level of
organization was at least satisfactory. Staff and volunteers wrote these positive comments both in
the favorite part(s) of the day/workshop sections, as well as in the improvement sections. In
addition, the absence of responses on how to improve various aspects of the day indicates that
many of these staff and volunteers tended to feel at a minimum that the event went smoothly.
These findings will be further summarized in the following discussion section.
DISCUSSION
Students, staff, and volunteers tended to have favorable perceptions of the S&T MESA Day as
measured by the Student Surveys and Staff and Volunteer Surveys. The means of the Likert-
28
scale items of the surveys were high, where most were above four for students, staff, and
volunteers. In examining the Likert-scale items describing the overall program for students, it is
apparent that generally speaking, students felt the event was well-organized and enjoyed the
activities, workshops, and competitions. Students perceived the event made them more aware
and/or increased their interest in STEM subjects and careers. The only item that did not have a
mean above four was the transition in getting to and from different workshops. This item along
with other items with means below four will be discussed in further detail in the conclusions and
recommendations section.
In terms of the Likert-scale items describing students’ academic planning and future plans,
students agreed that they were introduced to different STEM subjects, are interested in attending
college after high school, and studying STEM majors and pursuing STEM careers. However,
students were not fully aware of course requirements and/or how to apply for college. It might be
helpful to incorporate more than one college readiness workshop for both students and parents to
understand how to prepare for college and apply to college.
In examining the Likert-scale items describing the overall program for staff and students, it is
clear that overall staff and students felt the S&T MESA Day was well organized in terms of the
set up process, take down, opening and closing ceremonies, lunch, workshops, activities, and
competitions, with means all above four. In terms of the Likert-scale items describing the
confidence in the role(s) held during S&T MESA Day, staff and volunteers tended to know what
their roles were throughout the day and were able to address questions from students, parents,
MESA advisors, and other staff. Some staff and volunteers noted they did not know what to do
prior to the event, which may be due to the fact that they did not attend the volunteer training
sessions. The Likert-scale items for volunteers only illustrated that volunteers found it relatively
easy to sign up to be a volunteer and those who attended the training session found it be
somewhat useful.
An examination of the open-ended responses confirmed the results from the descriptive analysis
of the Likert-scale items for students, staff, and volunteers. The open-ended responses regarding
the favorite part of day indicated that students, staff, and volunteers tended to enjoy the activities,
workshops, competitions, lunch and lunch time activities, interactions between K-12 students
and college students, and the opening and closing ceremonies. Staff and volunteers noted they
29
enjoyed seeing the students’ enthusiasm for learning in the various workshops, activities, and
competitions.
In terms of ways to improve the event, students, staff, and volunteers suggested there could have
been better organization of the event, better communication, more and different workshops, more
workshops offered for the popular workshops, better transition of getting to and from the
different workshops, more and/or better food, and more interactions between K-12 students and
college students. Details on how to improve the event will be discussed in the conclusion and
recommendation section.
LIMITATIONS AND BARRIERS
There were some limitations that affected the interpretation of the survey data. Only six MESA
staff returned the Staff and Volunteer Surveys. Since many more than six MESA staff attended
and helped out with the event, their responses may not reflect the sentiments felt by the larger
group of staff and volunteers. Another limitation was the survey design on one of the Likert-
scale items pertaining to volunteers only. The item “I attended the volunteer training” elicits a
“yes” or “no” response, but it was placed on a 1-5 Likert-scale with an “N/A” option, which
might have made it confusing for volunteers to respond.
Another limitation is the short time frame in developing the surveys for students, staff, and
volunteers. The process of survey design typically takes weeks, perhaps even months, to draft,
modify, test, and retest before making the final version of the survey. Given that the evaluators
only had one week to design the survey, it was challenging to include all the questions we were
interested in. The evaluators also did not have enough time to test out the survey items, and thus
did not catch the poor phrasing of the item “I attended the volunteer training.”
One barrier in the analysis of surveys had to do with the inability to distinguish the relative
contributions of the event on the students’ learning, attitudes, and behaviors. If students
participated in more than one workshop, then their answers to the STEM and college readiness
Likert-scale items cannot be interpreted at the individual workshop level. That is, if a student
attended the Build a Solar Powered Car and Space Slime workshops then it is unclear which one
workshop, an unequal combination of the two workshops, or an equal combination of the two
workshops influenced their responses to items such as “The workshops gave me information that
30
is helpful” or “The activities gave me information that is helpful.” Thus, the responses to these
items cannot be attributed to individual workshops or activities, unless the student specified
which workshop or activity he/she attended that provided helpful information.
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The S&T MESA Day served middle school and high school students from Oxnard school
districts. There were 301 students and 65 staff and volunteers who completed and returned the
evaluation survey forms. The one-day event focused on exposing students to STEM through
project-based activities, workshops, and competitions, as well as providing information to
students about college applications and financial aid. The STEM activities, workshops, and
competitions were hands-on and provided opportunities for students to construct and reconstruct
their projects. The college readiness activities imparted important knowledge onto students about
navigating the track to higher education. These events were designed in part to meet the goal of
increasing students’ interest in and motivation to learn more about STEM topics and college.
Analysis of the data collected suggested that students, staff, and volunteers tended to be satisfied
with the different components of the event and many reported positive learning experiences,
attitudes, and future anticipated behaviors due to participation in the event, as measured by
certain Likert-scale item statements. The open-ended responses also tended to be favorable,
although students, staff, and volunteers believed that certain improvements could be made in
future events. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the event was a worthwhile experience
for students as it offered students opportunities to engage in STEM activities and provided
students and parents with information on college and financial aid. Participation in an event like
the S&T MESA Day may contribute to more intermediate outcomes, such as increasing student
interest in STEM and in higher education, and may be a factor in the achievement of more distal
outcomes, such as increasing the rates of students applying for college, attending college,
majoring in STEM fields, and pursuing STEM careers.
To improve the implementation of this event and similar ones in the future, some
recommendations are made below. Also, there are suggestions to improve the data collection and
reporting process that will better assist in the evaluation.
Start planning early! Although there were S&T MESA Day Planning Board Meetings,
perhaps start the meetings the summer prior and start planning ahead. This will help with
Conclusions and Recommendations
32
the organization and planning of the event, as well as the coordination of the volunteers.
This could also be a good time to recruit workshop leaders early on to participate in S&T
MESA Day.
Have more and different workshops for students to participate in. Perhaps schedule a day
in the Chemistry Lawn to recruit volunteers to help with leading workshops, activities,
competitions, as well as judging competitions. Send an email out to various STEM major
list serves to recruit as many STEM undergraduates and graduates students as possible.
Contact the program officers of CalTeach and Science and Mathematics Initiative to
recruit volunteers to teach workshops and lead activities.
Ensure that volunteers know what their roles are and where they should be throughout the
day. Have a volunteer coordinator in charge of directing volunteers to where they need to
be so they can be of assistance to MESA staff. It might be helpful to have a volunteer
checklist that assigns volunteers to different areas to help out. For instance, if volunteers
are needed to help set up lunch, then have the volunteer coordinator direct volunteers
there. If there are enough volunteers there, then have volunteers move to another item on
the checklist, i.e., help with workshops. This will provide volunteers a better sense of
knowing what they are supposed to do and where they are supposed to be.
Encourage college student volunteers to interact with K-12 students. Both students and
university-level volunteers noted how excited they were when they had the opportunity to
talk to interact with one another. Some K-12 students wanted to interact more with
college students to hear about their college experiences.
Provide more time slots of the college readiness workshops. Students reported that they
were not aware of the different course requirements for CSU/UC eligibility, nor were
they aware of the college application process. Having additional time slots for the college
readiness workshop will provide more opportunities for students to attend both the
science and engineering workshops and college readiness workshops without having to
sacrifice one for the other.
To aid in data reporting, it might be a good idea to put the surveys online (e.g., through
Survey Monkey) for students, staff, and volunteers. This would assist both in data
collection and in data analysis. For data collection, the online entry would ensure that
participants respond to each question appropriately (once for Likert-scale items; have to
33
provide an answer for each open-ended response question). For data analysis, since the
responses are digital, this reduces the time spent by the evaluator in conducting the
evaluation; specifically, in manually entering the responses into spreadsheets. One
consideration to take into account is the response rate may be low if the surveys are
online. Students also may not have access to a computer or may forget to fill out the
survey once they leave the event. Since the surveys were paper surveys, it was easier to
distribute and ensure a higher response rate as the students were filling out the surveys on
the bus ride home.
Another possibility for data collection is using clickers for the Likert-scale items at the
end of the event and handing out shorter surveys with the open-ended response questions
to capture overall impressions of the event.
To better assess the specific impact(s) of each individual workshop on students, it might
be useful to provide exit cards at the conclusion of each workshop or changing the survey
to include workshop-specific questions. For example, instead of the current general
wording of an item of the survey (e.g., “The workshops gave me information that was
helpful”), it could be altered to something that could be linked to a particular workshop
(e.g., “The Build a Solar Powered Car workshop gave me information that was helpful”).
Parent surveys were not included in this analysis. It will be valuable to gain parents’
perceptions and attitudes of the event. Parent evaluation forms should be available in
English and Spanish and should be placed in the packets for all of the workshops. Staff
should make an announcement about the importance of the completion of the surveys in
both English and in Spanish during the opening ceremony.
A theory of action, or logic model, should be created for the event in order to better
assess the implementation of the program, as well as to determine whether the program is
meeting its intended goals and objectives. Without a theory of action, it is challenging to
draw conclusions that could address the strengths and weaknesses of this event and how
it fits within the overall MESA program goals and objectives. Also, a summative, or
outcomes evaluation cannot be properly conducted without a theory of action.
34
Appendix A: S&T MESA Day Program
14th Annual
Science & Technology MESA Day
February 23, 2013
S.T.E.M. Out of this World
Science
Technology
Engineering
Mathematics
35
Science & Technology MESA DAY 2013
Saturday, February 23, 2013 - UC SANTA BARBARA
Event Schedule
7:30 - 8:30am Bus Arrival (UCSB University Plaza Loop)
7:45 - 8:30am MESA Project Check-In, Judges Check-In,
Pre- Judging (see locations other page)
8:00 - 8:30am Breakfast Snacks, Advisor/School Check-In (Campbell Hall Plaza area)
8:30 - 11:00am MESA Appeals (for Disqualifications in Pre-Judging) (Buchanan 1934)
8:30am Doors Open: All be Seated (Campbell Hall)
8:45 - 9:30am Opening Ceremony: Welcome, Featured Speaker California State
Assembly Member, Das Williams, College specials, Day’s Preview
(Campbell Hall)
7:45 - 11:00am Hospitality Rm for Judges, Volunteers & Teachers (Buch.1934)
9:40 -11:00am Session I: S&T Workshops, MESA Competitions, Campus Tour,
Parent/Student Spanish Workshop: Taller de Padres: Preparacion para la
Universidad / College Readiness
11:00 - 12:00pm Lunch, Egg Xpress Competition(Gr 6-12) & Entertainment
(Lawn between Physical Sciences North and South)
12:10 - 1:30pm Session II: S&T Workshops, MESA Competitions
(See PM Workshop & Competition Details)
1:40 – 3:30pm Session III: Evaluation Distribution & Completion, S&T Workshops,
MESA Competitions (See PM Wkshop & Comp. Details)
3:30 -3:40pm Pick-up MESA Projects & Materials, proceed to Ceremonies
3:40 - 5:00pm Closing Ceremonies: JR HIGH at Buchanan 1910 /
HIGH SCHOOL at Rob Gym: Awards, Raffle, Closing
5:00 - 5:30pm Photos (front of Campbell Hall) & Departure
36
37
Los Ingenieros, National Society of Black Engineers, Society for the Advancement in
Chicanos/as and Native Americans in the Sciences & MESA
Los Ingenieros
Los Ingenieros (L.I.) was formed on the campus of UCSB in 1978 by nine Latino engineers who,
sharing similar goals and backgrounds, promoted professionalism and community outreach.
Since then, Los Ingenieros has grown to an organization of more than 10 times the original nine
members and has expanded to include all science and mathematics majors, as well as non-Latino
students. In addition, we have received many accolades, including being awarded Student
Organization of the Year in 1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2008-09 and 2010-11 academic years.
Recognition was a result of our combination of many activities centered around academic
achievement, professional development, personal growth, and community outreach. Los
Ingenieros is the UCSB student chapter of two national professional organizations, the Society of
Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and the Society of Mexican American Engineers and
Scientists (MAES).
Mission Statement:
Dedicated to serve its members and the community in the advancement of their math, science,
and engineering disciplines. To provide our members with professional exposure, leadership
opportunities, scholarships, community involvement, and a desire for the pursuit of the highest
level of education.
National Society of Black Engineers, UCSB
NSBE at UCSB has witnessed a trend of fewer African American students pursuing majors in
the STEM fields, and premature departure from the STEM studies without an active Black
student STEM support system. Recognizing its potential clout, NSBE has been reinvigorated in
the past three years. Under new leadership and direction, NSBE UCSB has become a support
group for African American students in the STEM fields, and an inspiration to future college
students. Our goals are to help members develop networking skills, promote the fields of STEM
to the future generations, and to help students continue on their journey of success in academics
and on to STEM careers. Each year, NSBE’s following gets stronger and we plan to continue to
impact our campus and community positively.
Mission Statement
To increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically,
succeed professionally and positively impact the community.
38
Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA)
Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) is an academic, college and career
preparation program for K-12, community college and university-level students in California and
nationwide. Since 1970, MESA’s academic development program has supported educationally
disadvantaged students so they can excel in math and science studies and ultimately attain four-
year degrees in engineering, science, technology or math (STEM) fields.
MESA has particular interest in and focus on students from those groups who historically have
had the lowest levels of attainment to four-year and graduate level programs. By closing this
achievement gap, MESA students and graduates will be better able to make significant
contributions to the socioeconomic well-being of their families, their communities, and beyond.
Mission Statement
MESA enables educationally disadvantaged students to prepare for and graduate from a four-
year college or university with a math-bases degree in areas such as engineering, the sciences,
computer science, and mathematics.
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/as and Native Americans in the Sciences, UCSB
We are theSociety for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
(SACNAS)at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The National SACNAS Organization
encourages Chicano/Latino and Native American students, along with students of other races, to
pursue higher education; and to assist them in obtaining the advanced degrees necessary for
science research, industry, leadership, and teaching careers at all levels. For over 30 years,
SACNAS has provided strong national leadership towards improving and expanding
opportunities for minorities in the scientific workforce, also mentoring college students in
science, mathematics and engineering.
Mission Statement
SACNAS is a society of scientists dedicated to fostering the success ofHispanic/Chicano and
Native American scientists—from college students to professionals—to attain advanced degrees,
careers, and positions of leadership in science.
39
Workshop Descriptions
1. Build Your Own Battery-Powered Car! - Build a small battery powered car and learn about
connections in parallel and series, sensors, photoresisters, relays, current, and voltage.
2. Build Your Own Speaker - Where does sound come from? Find out by building your own speaker
and hear it play music!
3. Build a Solar Powered Car - Learn about alternative forms of energy and current energy usage.
Build a solar powered car & see how solar energy converts to work to power the car!
4. Como Llegar al Colegio - Aprenda como obtener información acerca de ayuda financiera y
admisión a la Universidad. También, un grupo de estudiantes de UCSB estará allí para contestar a
sus preguntas sobre estos temas! Las sesiones se ofreceran en español e inglés. Padres son
bienvenidos!
How to Get Into College - Learn about how to apply for financial aid and for admission to a
UC and ask your questions to a panel of UCSB students! Sessions offered in Spanish and
English. Parents welcome!
5. Do you have Night Vision? - Find out the difference between how humans perceive image at night
as opposed to a night vision camera and check out night vision cameras used in automotive
applications!
6. Design your own Aircraft! - Build your own aircrafts out of household supplies and learn about
aerodynamic properties such as lift, drag, and fluid flow!
7. Electric Motor - Learn about the forces of electricity and magnetism and build a motor using
simple materials!
8. Household Chemistry–Make your own water filter, learn about crystallization and make your own
rock candy. Learn how to extract DNA from a strawberry!
9. Kelp Beads- Can sugars be converted to plastics? Learn about biopolymers and materials science
while making your own beads from kelp sugar!
10. Marshmallow Catapults- Learn about projectile motion, structural stability, and material
properties! Use these concepts to build a catapult to launch marshmallows as far as possible!
11. Marine REEF Tour- The Research Experience & Education Facility, better known as The
REEF, is UCSB's interactive aquarium facility. The REEF utilizes a high-tech life support system
for the Research Tank, with over 100 different species of marine plants and animals.
12. Planet Hunting- Come learn how astronomers find & study exoplanets (planets around other
starts) using telescopes, math, chemistry, and physics! Take a look through solar telescopes and
discover something out of this world!
40
13. Reaction in a Bag – DO a chemical reaction and learn about the scientific method, as well as
endothermic and exothermic reactions!
14. Space Slime- Make your own silly putty! Learn about its special properties and how this type of
material can be used on space shuttles!
15. Scratch Programming - Learn how to use Scratch, a programming language, and built a game or
a story!
16. Tinfoil Boats - Build a tinfoil boat that can withstand the most weight in water! Learn about
buoyancy and what designs will be the strongest!
17. UCSB Research Lab Tours- Students will visit real research laboratories in Chemical
Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Earth Science, and learn about the amazing, cutting-
edge research done on UCSB campus!
41
MIDDLE SCH. / JR. HIGH MESA Competitions & Demonstrations
Event
Grades
Location
Session I: 9:40-11:00 am
Prosthetic Arm Oral Presentations 6-8 Buchanan 1930
Mousetrap Car - Distance 6-8 Rob Gym
Stick Together (Bridge Testing) 6-8 Engr II 2163
Model Science - The Eye 6-8 Phelps 1448
Lunch & Activities: 11:00-12:00 pm
EggXpress Drop 6-8 Chemistry Lawn
Session II: 12:10-1:30pm
Prosthetic Arm Academic Display 6-8 Rob Gym
Prosthetic Arm Performance Tasks 6-8 Rob Gym
Wright Stuff Glider 6-8 Chem Lawn
Robotics Challenge: Sumo 6-8 Phelps 1444
Speak Up 6-8 GGSE 1215
Session III: 1:40-3:30 pm
Prosthetic Arm Testing 6-8 Rob Gym
Robotics Challenge: Tug-o-War 6-8 Phelps 1444
42
HIGH SCHOOL MESA Competitions & Demonstrations
Event
Grades
Location
Session I: 9:40-11:00 am
Prosthetic Arm Oral Presentations 9-12 Buchanan 1940
Mousetrap Car Accuracy 9-12 Rob Gym
Wright Stuff Glider 9-12 Chemistry Lawn
Robotics Challenge 9-12 Phelps 1444
Lunch & Activities: 11:00-12:00 pm
EggXpress Drop 9-12 Chemistry Lawn
Session II: 12:10-1:30pm
Prosthetic Arm Academic Display 9-12 Rob Gym
Prosthetic Arm Performance Tasks 9-12 Rob Gym
Speak Easy 9-12 GGSE 1213
Civil Structures (Bridge Testing) 9-12 Engineering II: 2163
Session III: 1:40-3:30 pm
Prosthetic Arm Testing (Completion) 9-12 Rob Gym
Model Science - Human Brain 9-12 Phelps 1448
MESA Project Check-In & PRE-Judging Locations
Appeals
8:30am-11:00am
For MESA students to submit
written Appeals
Buchanan
1934
Bridges: Civil &
Craft Stick
Take Bridges to room for pre-
judging & labeling check
Engineering
II - 2226
EggXpress Packages
Take Packages to room for pre-
judging & labeling
Phelps 1260
Model Science: Brain
Model Science: Eye
Take Models to room for pre-
judging & labeling
Phelps 1448
Wright Stuff Gliders
Take Gliders to outside location
for pre-judging & labeling check
In Front of
Chemistry
Building,
near Lawn
Mousetrap Cars Take Cars for pre-judging &
labeling check
Rob Gym
Robotics Take Robots for pre-judging &
holding
Phelps 1444
Speech Competitions Take Materials/ Displays for
Storing (NO Valuables to be left—
You are responsible to pick-up
before Competition)
Buchanan
1910
Prosthetic Arm
Challenge
Take Devices & Displays for pre-
judging & labeling check
(Oral Presentations in Buchanan
after Opening Ceremony)
Rob Gym
Workshops
Workshop Name Hosts Sessions
Offered Rooms
Planet Hunting SB Astronomical Unit 2, 3 Chem 1179
Do You Have Night Vision? Autoliv 1,2,3 Phelps 1160
Household Science Women in Science and Engineering
(WiSE)
1, 2, 3 Chem 1171
Build A Solar Powered Car Materials Research Lab 1, 2, 3 MRL 2053
Space Slime American Institution of Chemical
Engineers
1, 2 Phelps 1440
Build Your Own Battery Powered Car! UCSB Chemical Engineering 2, 3 Engineering Under Grad Rm -
Bldg 698
Inside Tour - Campus Los Ingenieros 1, 2, 3 Chem Lawn
Getting into College UCSB Admissions and Financial Aid 2 Buchanan 1920
Como Llegar al Colegio UCSB Admissions and Financial Aid 1 Buchanan 1920
Design Your Own Aircraft! Society for Advancing Chicanos and
Native Americans in Science
1, 2, 3 Phelps 3515
Marine REEF Tour Marine Science Institute 2 Physical Sciences Building-
North Walkway
UCSB Research Lab Tours UCSB Chemical Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering, & Earth Science
1 Physical Sciences Building-
North Walkway
Build A Simple Electric Motor Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers
1, 2, 3 GGSE 1217
Reaction in a Bag MESA 1, 2, 3 Phelps 1445
Build Your Own Speaker Society of Hispanic Professional
Engineers
1, 2, 3 Broida 1610
Kelp Beads Los Ingenieros 1, 2, 3 Phelps 2516
Tinfoil Boats American Society for Mechanical
Engineers
1 Phelps 2524
Marshmallow Catapult SACNAS 1, 2, 3 Phelps 3505
Scratch Programming Women in Software & Hardware (WISH) 2, 3 GGSE 4211
SPONSORS & PARTNERS
University of California, Santa Barbara
AS Student Commission on Racial Equality (SCORE)
AS Community Affairs Board (CAB)
AS Student Initiated Recruitment and
Retention Committee (SIRRC)
Associated Students (AS) Finance Board
Office of Education Partnerships
Student Initiated Outreach Program (SIOP)
UCSB MESA Programs
UCSB Educational Opportunity Program
Appendix B: Student Survey
Science & Technology MESA Day 2013
Student Survey
University of California, Santa Barbara
*************************************************************************************************************
PLEASE COMPLETE ALL ITEMS (both sides)
Today’s Date __2/23/2013_______ Program Sponsor Los Ingenieros_/ MESA__________
Full Name: First _________________ Middle _______________ Last _________________
Your School (full) Name _______________________________________________________
City ________________________ Zip code ___________
Please check the box that applies to YOU:
□ K-8 Grade Student □ High School Student, Grade 9-11 □ High School Senior, Grade 12
Gender:
□ Male □ Female □ Other □ Decline to State
Ethnicity (Check all that apply)
□ American-Indian or Alaska Native □ White
□ Asian □ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
□ Black or African American □Other (specify) _______________________
□ Hispanic □ Decline to State / Don't Know
Please check the box that BEST describes you:
□ English Learner (EL) - (in school, I am getting help to learn more English)
□ Fluent English Proficient (FEP)
□ Decline to State / Don't Know
If you are a Senior (Grade 12) in high school, please answer the following question. If you are
not a Senior, please skip this question:
□ I plan to enroll in a community college
□ I have applied to a 4 year college or university
□ I have been accepted to a 4 year college or university
□ I do not plan on going to college after high school
Please check the box that BEST describes you:
□ I plan to be a first-generation college graduate someday (my parents are not college graduates)
□ I plan to be a second-generation college graduate someday (at least one of my parents graduated
from college)
□ Decline to State / Don't Know
Please turn over and complete.
Please rate how much you agree with each statement that follows: (Mark with an “X”)
Program: Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Neutral
(3)
Agree
(4)
Strongly
Agree
(5)
N/A
This S&T MESA Day overall was well organized.
This S&T MESA Day made me more interested in math,
engineering, and/or science.
This S&T MESA Day made me more aware of math,
engineering, and/or science subjects and careers.
It was easy to get to and from the different workshops.
The workshops gave me information that is helpful.
The activities gave me information that is helpful.
I enjoyed the activities included in the S&T MESA Day.
I enjoyed visiting a college campus.
This S&T MESA Day introduced me to college students
and their college lives.
Academic Planning:
Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Neutral
(3)
Agree
(4)
Strongly
Agree
(5)
N/A
This S&T MESA Day made me more aware of the A-G
course requirements for CSU/UC eligibility.
This S&T MESA Day helped me understand how to
apply to college.
This S&T MESA Day introduced me to what kinds of
classes are required in college.
This S&T MESA Day introduced me to different science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses and
majors that I could study in college.
Future Plans:
Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Neutral
(3)
Agree
(4)
Strongly
Agree
(5)
N/A
Attending this S&T MESA Day has made me more
interested in taking college preparatory classes.
Attending this S&T MESA Day has made me more
interested in going to college after high school.
Attending this S&T MESA Day has made me more
interested in studying math, science, and/or engineering
in college.
Attending this S&T MESA Day has made me more
interested in pursuing a career in math, science, and/or
engineering.
What was your favorite part of this S&T MESA Day?
How could we improve the S&T MESA Day?
If you would like to write any comments, please feel free to add here:
Thank You!!
Appendix C: Staff and Volunteer Survey
Science & Technology MESA Day 2013
Staff & Volunteer Survey
University of California, Santa Barbara
*************************************************************************************************************
PLEASE COMPLETE ALL ITEMS (both sides)
Today’s Date __2/23/2013_______ SIOP Program Sponsor ___Los Ingenieros/
MESA_____
Please indicate your role(s) for the S&T MESA Day (Check all that apply).
□ MESA Staff □ Volunteer □ Judge
□ MESA Advisor □ Teacher □ School Counselor
□ Other (specify) __________________________________________
Please check the box that applies to YOU:
□ K-12 Staff (Teacher, Counselor) □ UCSB Staff
□ Community College Student □ Four-year University Undergraduate Student
□ Four-year University Graduate Student
□ Other (specify) __________________________________________
Gender:
□ Male □ Female □ Other □ Decline to State / Don't Know
Ethnicity (Check all that apply)
□ American-Indian or Alaska Native □ White
□ Asian □ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
□ Black or African American □ Other (specify) _______________________
□ Hispanic □ Decline to State / Don't Know
What was your favorite part of the S&T MESA Day?
How could we improve the S&T MESA Day?
Please turn over and complete.
Please rate how much you agree with each statement that follows: (Mark with an “X”)
Overall Program: Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Neutral
(3)
Agree
(4)
Strongly
Agree
(5)
N/A
This S&T MESA Day overall was well organized.
The set up process was well organized
The take down process was well organized.
Lunch was well organized.
The opening ceremony was well organized.
The closing ceremony was well organized.
It was easy to get to and from the different workshops.
The workshops were well organized.
The activities were well organized.
The competitions were well organized.
I enjoyed the workshops included in the S&T MESA Day.
I enjoyed the activities included in the S&T MESA Day.
I enjoyed the competitions included in the S&T MESA
Day.
Role:
Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Neutral
(3)
Agree
(4)
Strongly
Agree
(5)
N/A
I knew what to do for my role(s) prior to S&T MESA Day.
I knew what to do for my role(s) throughout the day.
I was confident in my role(s) throughout the day.
I was well prepared to answer questions from students.
I was well prepared to answer questions from parents.
I was well prepared to answer questions from MESA
advisors.
I was well prepared to answer questions from other staff.
For Volunteers ONLY:
(Skip this section if you are not a volunteer)
Strongly
Disagree
(1)
Disagree
(2)
Neutral
(3)
Agree
(4)
Strongly
Agree
(5)
N/A
It was easy to sign up to be a volunteer.
I attended the volunteer training.
I found the volunteer training to be very useful.
If you would like to write any comments, please feel free to add them here:
Thank You!!
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