Building a program track that kept students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM.
BU Spark! is Boston University's hub for experiential learning in computing and data science. As founding programs and course director, the work was to build a track that helped students from underrepresented backgrounds stay and succeed in the STEM ecosystem.
- Organization
- BU Spark!, Boston University
- Role
- Founding Programs & Course Director
- Dates
- August 2020 to August 2023
- Skills
- Program design, governance, team leadership, budget management, student leadership development.
Talented students were joining technical programs and leaving before they finished. There was no clear structure for bringing them in, supporting them, and keeping them engaged.
Founded the program track and managed a team of 8 on a $5K budget.
What I Did- Step 1
Built the track's governance pipeline and adoption structure for retaining students from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Step 2
Created and taught DS291, the track's accredited course (see the DS291 entry).
- Step 3
Designed and delivered training for the 50+ member Ignite Student Council.
- Step 4
Partnered with the BU Digital Teaching Lab to build an online Blackboard training for students, complete with animations, scripts, and resources, so the track’s training could reach students on their own schedule.
The inaugural Spark! JEDI Annual Report documents the year's work across three tracks: the DS291 course, the DEI Tech Collective's climate survey of 632 students, and the Student Consulting Group's trainings for the Ignite Student Council.
- A lasting program track with its own governance and adoption structure.
- DS291 reached 95% completion across 60+ students.
- Nominated for 2022 BU Student Employee of the Year.
- A self-paced Blackboard training, built with the BU Digital Teaching Lab, that extended the track beyond in-person sessions.
- Created the inaugural Spark! JEDI Annual Report, covering a 632-response computing climate survey, the DS291 course, and trainings that reached 50+ student leaders.
Let’s talk about your program.
Whether you’re rebuilding a curriculum, launching a new initiative, or scaling an existing program, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.