Science Study Abroad For High School Students

Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

Kevin Brennan

Abstract

This capstone paper presents the design for a study abroad program for high school students at City on a Hill Charter Public School, located in Boston, MA. This paper is written as a proposal for funding. The research question addressed was why and how to design a science-based, study abroad program that best serves the needs of urban, low-income, minority high school students. Research methodology included the use of scholarly journals, articles, and books to provide theoretical frameworks and rationales for the design of the program.

The program is designed as a science-based study abroad program in order to increase interest in and commitment to science among minority and low-income students as well as to increase access to and interest in study abroad. This capstone paper presents the program design for a four-week, summer study abroad program with a science-focus for City on a Hill students entering the 11th and 12th grades. The students will travel to the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, where they will study ecology, conservation, and sustainable forestry and volunteer in related scientific projects at the Jatun Sacha reserve outside Tena, Ecuador. The study abroad program is designed to link their science learning abroad with what they learned in 9th grade earth science class and 10th grade biology class, and to help prepare them for the environmental science class they will take as seniors. The program is designed also to address the inequities in minority and low-income student achievement in science, interest in science, and participation in study abroad programs.

Disciplines

International and Comparative Education | Science and Mathematics Education

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