“And in elementary school, something happened that changed the course of my life: I went on a field trip to the Rueben H. Fleet.” – Katya Echazarreta
As you know, the Fleet’s mission is to connect everyone to the power of science. You also may have heard me say that our programs and exhibits help students build their STEM identity. This means building a student’s belief that science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is something they do and is a powerful tool they can use to change the world around them.
Why is this so important? I could give you an explanation and statistics showing the effects of societal narratives that define people’s understanding of what science is, who is it for and who is allowed to participate. Instead, I suggest you watch this clip of Katya Echazarreta, citizen astronaut and the first Mexican-born woman in space, telling her story of the Fleet Science Center’s role in her STEM identity and how it influenced her life’s trajectory.
