The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in engineering, particularly for underrepresented populations. In alignment with this mission, SWE is proud to have served as a national partner and co-developer of Design Squad Latinx (DSL), a bilingual engineering education initiative created with and for Latinx communities.
DSL was designed to engage 8- to 12-year-olds in culturally responsive STEM learning, using a strengths-based approach that emphasizes the rich funds of knowledge inherent in their families, communities, and cultures. By tapping into these lived experiences, the program empowers youth to see themselves as problem-solvers, innovators, and future engineers.
As a national partner, SWE helped shape the vision and structure of DSL, infusing the project with our longstanding expertise in outreach to girls and underrepresented youth in engineering. This collaborative effort reflects SWE’s commitment to bridging opportunity gaps and advancing equity in STEM.
DSL’s curriculum includes four self-contained modules, each featuring real-world engineering challenges, instructional videos, and hands-on activities that guide participants through the engineering design process. Each module encourages students to:
- Engage with relatable scenarios that prompt critical thinking
- Brainstorm and prototype potential solutions
- Test and refine their designs
- Reflect on the design process and share their insights
Government, industry, research, and education leaders all agree that a strong engineering workforce is an essential part of the future global economy. Despite the need for more engineers, people of Latin origin are underrepresented in the field of engineering as well as in the engineering education pipeline.
As reported in 2020, only 8% of U.S. adults in STEM careers were of Latin or Hispanic origins (Student Research Foundation, 2020). Even more alarming, in 2020 less than 4% of engineering bachelor’s degrees were awarded to African American/Black, Latina/Hispanic, and Native American women combined (De la Rosa, 2020).
By contributing to DSL, SWE continues its mission to inspire the next generation of engineers and elevate diverse voices in STEM. We encourage educators, caregivers, and community organizations to explore this valuable resource and consider how it can support their efforts to foster inclusive STEM learning.
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