Physics Career Education Day: Design, Implementation, and Assessment

Abstract

The nation faces critical shortages of Hispanic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college graduates—especially in physics. To address youth lack of awareness about physics careers, physics educators at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley implemented a strategic intervention anchored in Modern Expectancy-Value Theory, Physics Career Education Day, in collaboration with two local school districts. Presurvey and postsurvey results have shown that this intervention significantly increased student awareness and interest in physics careers.