13 Tying it all together: Outreach is a major key

Outreach is an essential component to increasing public awareness and understanding of a variety of STEAM topics and more specifically, within the PEERs community. Designed to help address the gap between the PEER’s community and STEM interest this will contribute to a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive scientific community. This project will introduce a new way to engage marginalized/underrepresented students in STEM while simultaneously educating them about polymer and material chemistry.

This collection of STEAM hands-on activities that have cultural relevance, specifically using sneaker culture, will lead to an increased interest in STEM for PEERs. Implementing the first activity at the IU Science Fest 2022 was a success and students, parents, and volunteers were all intrigued and engaged with the use of sneaker culture as a pedagogy. This project will provide a space to showcase the importance and intersectionality of chemistry, STEAM, education, art, media, public outreach, and engagement.