A new report from Change the Equation and the Amgen Foundation shows that students want hands-on opportunities inside and outside of the classroom that will inspire them to explore careers in scientific fields.

Students believe participation in science clubs and more connections with adults in their field of interest would be beneficial to their understanding of STEM careers.

Unfortunately, the study also revealed that most teenagers lack access to the resources and opportunities most critical to developing their lifelong love of science. Lack of access—and lack of role models in STEM—is particularly dire for low-income students.

These findings confirm the value of AEOP’s approach to nurturing students’ interest in STEM and exposing them to STEM careers through hands-on, real-world experiences and mentorship opportunities.

Key findings from the study include:

• Most student respondents believe knowing an adult in their field of interest would be helpful, but only 32 percent actually know an adult in a science-based career.
• Only 33 percent of teenagers have ever been involved in a science club or group, either in or out of school. Involvement from low-income teenagers is especially low, and these students are less likely to be aware of extracurricular science offerings.
• Low-income students have the fewest pathways to science careers. They are less likely to know someone who works in biology (19 percent versus 25 percent of higher-income students) and less likely to have access to career-planning resources.

Want to take action? Tell a friend or student you know about AEOP. You never know, an AEOP program may be just the experience they are looking for.