Residential programs

Description

Residential STEM programs are multi-day live-in STEM education experiences for students, such as camps and conferences. These immersive experiences aim to boost students’ interest, knowledge and skills in STEM and their aspirations for future STEM careers. Programs often target high-achievers in a particular field or within a particular population group, and entry can be competitive.

Examples include:

Australian Youth Aerospace Forum, a five-day conference in Brisbane for Year 11 and 12 students interested in careers in the aerospace industry.
CSIRO’s Aboriginal Summer School for Excellence in Technology and Science, a nine-day program for high-achieving Indigenous Year 10 students, held in Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville.
National Youth Science Forum’s STEM Explorer Program for Year 7 and 8 students in South Australia.

Benefits	Limitations
Great for challenging high-achieving students in a particular field or group	Costs can be high
Students meet, work with, and befriend like-minded peers	Significant logistical challenges
Can inspire aspirations for further STEM study and careers	Difficult to offer to large groups

Evidence

There is not enough clear evidence to draw a conclusion about the impact of this initiative type on student STEM engagement or achievement.

Some studies suggest that residential programs can positively impact student attitudes towards STEM education and careers. However, these studies have relatively small sample sizes and are based on student survey responses or anecdotal evidence. There is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about the impacts of residential STEM programs on either engagement or achievement.

This does not mean that STEM residential programs don’t work. It just means that there is an opportunity for more research. If planning a STEM residential program, be sure to evaluate its success.

Sources

Impact of a 5-Week Collegiate Level Residential STEM Summer Program on Secondary School Students (research to practice) by Dr. Benjamin Reed Campbell, Sarah Marie Robb, Stephanie Abbott and Sarah Mukui Mutunga. This US study of 59 students found that a five-week residential STEM program for senior secondary students led to improved attitudes towards STEM.
Curious Minds: Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Infographic shows collated information from 108 female students who participated in Australia’s Curious Minds STEM residential and mentoring program in 2017. 80% said it increased their confidence doing STEM. 70% said it increased their enjoyment of STEM. 70% said it helped them decide that their future study will be in STEM.
First evaluation report of CSIRO’s Aboriginal Summer School for Excellence in Technology and Science. An early evaluation noted strong anecdotal evidence that the program has increased students’ knowledge of STEM career pathways and led to higher aspiration and confidence in pursuing them.

Implementation

It is rare for schools to run STEM residential programs themselves. Schools can support students by informing students and parents about relevant programs (the STARportal is a good place to search). Schools may also consider subsidising students’ costs, which can vary from zero to several hundreds of dollars.

Implementation tips:

Look for programs well in advance. Applications can be due months before the program.
Look closely at the program details to gauge travel and logistics requirements.
Consider financial assistance options for disadvantaged students, where necessary.

Industry involvement

Businesses can support STEM residential programs by:

Supporting an existing STEM residential program or students’ participation in it. For example, a business might sponsor the participation of disadvantaged students.
Partnering with an existing program provider to scale up a residential program to enable more students to participate.
If there is a significant gap in STEM residential program offerings, creating or sponsoring a new STEM residential camp.

Case study: CSIRO Aboriginal Summer School for Excellence in Technology and Science

Aboriginal Summer School for Excellence in Technology and Science is a nine-day residential program for high-achieving Indigenous Year 10 students. The program is funded by BHP Billiton Foundation and managed by CSIRO. Each summer school has a Cultural Patron who works with students to explore cultural identity and Indigenous knowledge. Scientists share their research and discuss study and career options with students. Students work together on group research projects. In 2016-17, 105 students participated in summer school programs in Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville. An early evaluation found strong anecdotal evidence of improvements in student confidence, aspiration and knowledge of STEM career pathways.