# Culturally Responsive Education to Enhance STEM (CRE2STEM)

> **NIH NIH R25** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 2024 · $270,000

## Abstract

The CRE2STEM program intends to contextualize STEM education to the culture, experiences, barriers, and
realities of students in their communities. Teachers will be empowered with experiential learning with URMC
investigators from biomedical and population health sciences to provide real-world content, resources and
consultation to inform the STEM curriculum development. Community partners will facilitate visits and
interactions with agencies and organizations engaged in addressing health disparities, low academic
performance in high schools and workforce development to inform a culturally responsive classroom education
in STEM. Ultimately, our hypothesis is that these two elements will impact : 1) the educational system, and
teachers culturally responsive teaching practices, and 2) increase the pool of diverse students with competencies
in STEM motivated and interested in careers in STEM and healthcare. To ensure this contextualization, all
elements of CRE2STEM will be facilitated within an equal, trusted, dedicated, cohesive, organic, and vetted
collaboration with community partners in education known as the Educational Advisory Committee. The
CRE2STEM intervention follows diversity, equity, and inclusion principles as the cornerstone to achieve the
equality and inclusivity that NY state students need to succeed. Aim 1: Curriculum Development to Enhance
Culturally Responsive Education in STEM. This aim will be achieved through a two-week CRE2STEM
Summer Institute for 20 STEM teachers (2 cohorts of 10) from RCSD, year-long professional development, and
experiential opportunities in the community and with URMC investigators for two consecutive years. Aim 2:
Assess the implementation of the CRE2STEM intervention on STEM teachers and students. By
supporting teachers with content, pedagogical tools, and the delivery of culturally responsive STEM curriculum
materials aligned with NGSS, the CRE2STEM educational program aims to create a stronger connection
between students from diverse backgrounds and their STEM experiences. Aim 3: Disseminate classroom
resources and a video-based library of exemplary culturally responsive STEM lessons and shared
experiences of teachers in a web-based platform.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10888581
- **Project number:** 1R25GM154371-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Ana Paula Cupertino
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $270,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10888581

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10888581, Culturally Responsive Education to Enhance STEM (CRE2STEM) (1R25GM154371-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10888581. Licensed CC0.

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