BEAVERTON, Ore. — For close to a decade, a summer camp has used an innovative approach to make the STEM field more inclusive.
Each summer, Mariachi STEAM has combined STEM learning with Mariachi music. Predominantly Latino middle and high schoolers learn skills like programming during a week-long camp at Linfield University. Time is also carved out of students' days to practice Mariachi music.
"We saw it as a segue to, well, a lot of different types of opportunities," said Romanna Flores, a co-founder of Mariachi STEAM.
Through differing studies, the camp exposes kids to different careers, Flores said.
Around 25 students attend the camp each summer. For some, it may be their first time on a college campus. Once families step on campus for the first time, it can change students' plans for the future, camp directors said.
“It's a whole family setting up a dorm room with their kid,” said co-director Alice Phillips. “And that's a really cool opportunity for their parents to experience that. For their little siblings to do that."
"I see a lot of myself in them," said volunteer Daniel De Leon, talking about the students.
De Leon is a software engineer at Intel and has spent three summers working at the camp. There was a time when he didn’t see a career in engineering in his future.
"You know, when I was a kid and in high school, I didn't think that college was going to be a route for me," De Leon said.
Eventually, De Leon said that changed when he was inspired by a Chicano community college professor.
"What helped me a lot was seeing someone that looked like me, and acted like me, able to do those things," De Leon said.
Now, De Leon hopes to be a role model for others.
"If we can try to bring science and engineering at an earlier age, and give kids a good experience earlier on, I think it can be really impactful," De Leon said.
KGW's Breaking Barriers series features Oregonians making a difference in the world of sports, arts, government, business and more. You'll see stories for Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15-October 15.