Grant Story - Seydou Mbaye

Broadening Participation of Underrepresented Groups In US Navy-Related Educational Experiences

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The Mitchell School of Engineering (MSOE) is partnering with the Office of Naval Research to diversify the Federal Workforce via a grant. Outcome 1 of the grant from the Office of Naval Research, which aims to increase awareness and participation of K-12 students in the Baltimore and surrounding regions in programs such as the Naval High School Science Awards Program (NSAP) and the Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP), is the purpose of this story. One activity in Outcome 1 encompasses the development of Saturday Academy monthly outreach activities targeted at high schoolers and middle schoolers. That resulted in the establishment of the MSOE SeaPerch Saturday Academy, a 6-week hands-on outreach program made up of eighteen student participants (12 males, 6 females, between the seventh and twelfth grades), and six college student mentors. To reflect Dean Barton’s core objective of pushing the MSOE’s students to their full potential while instilling confidence in them, bridging the community college and Morgan State’s academic communities, the cohort of mentors comprised one graduate student and four undergraduate students from the MSOE, 1 undergraduate student from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and a second year student at the Community College of Baltimore County who plans to transfer to the MSOE.

The student participants worked with their assigned mentors to learn basic engineering concepts and skills such as soldering, operating power tools, or building circuits. They also learn soft skills such as teamwork, effective communication, or problem-solving. The program culminated with the students demonstrating their process of building underwater rovers, in the presence of their parents, families, and friends. Furthermore, the students showcased their finished products and tested them in a pool in front of their families, Dean Barton, and the rest of his staff. At the end, the parents emphasized their appreciation of having their children being getting prepared for higher education at such a young age, and some of them reached back out with their testimonials, as seen below:

“My Daughter Lea was enrolled in the SeaPerch Saturday Academy and she absolutely loved it. She attended a magnet Elementary & Middle school for Stem and never seemed to connect to it. Attending this program opened her eyes to more than just the surface level curriculum taught in school. She is now interested in Engineering and hopes to return to Sea perch or programs like it.”
- Erica Bowling

“My daughter, McKinley Smith, had the opportunity to participate in the SeaPerch Saturday Academy program at Morgan State University. This activity was enriching and created an opportunity to not only learn about engineering and design but it also allowed her to problem solve and find ways to overcome obstacles. This created opened up new thinking and allowed McKinley to be inspired to explore new career options. We are grateful for the experience and hope that other students get a chance to engage in this amazing opportunity.”
- Monique Smith

“My name is Michon and my son Zaiy’n Sutton attended the SeaPerch Saturday Academy. He has always expressed an interest in technology but I was unsure how to find programs. When he was offered the opportunity to enroll in Sea perch we were both excited. I am happy and grateful for his experience. He is now an upcoming 9th grader who wants to attend a high school offering
Stem as a study area.”
- Michon Orr

“My child Callia Dyer participated in the SeaPerch Program at the Saturday Academy at Morgan State University. Our overall experience was positive. My child got to witness that she and her team built an underwater Sea Perch with their hands. She was excited on launch day to see something they built with their hands come to life and she was even more amazed that their SeaPerch completed the obstacle course with the fastest time. She gained a network of like-minded stem students that share similar interests as her. The program has helped her to broaden her horizon and help her to realize that she could also have
fun while learning.”
- Shelly-Ann Dye