Mac iSTEP launches after-school STEM club for Black youth
Empowering young minds, Mac iSTEP is fostering a new generation of Black innovators in science, technology, engineering and math
Mac iSTEP is an after school STEM program for Black youth developed by McMaster University’s science and engineering faculties. Mac iSTEP will begin their After-School STEM Club at the end of February. The program will run from February up until May of 2025.
The After-School STEM Club is an annual free program that features bi-weekly STEM workshops where students in grades 10 to 12 can gain volunteer hours, explore McMaster’s campus and engage in hands-on science activities. The workshops are two hours and take place in the Life Sciences Building at McMaster University.
Dylan Marshall, outreach director of Mac iSTEP, discussed the goals of the program.
"Our focus has historically been black high school students, due to the fact that there is a clear underrepresentation of black scientists in all fields of STEM. And so our main goal is to show black students that they can be a part of STEM," said Marshall.
Our focus has historically been black high school students, due to the fact that there is a clear underrepresentation of black scientists in all fields of STEM.
Dylan Marshall, Outreach Director
Mac iSTEP
The program will be delivered by four black-identifying mentors who are graduate students at McMaster.
"We do have a training session for them [the mentors]. We try to do it at different points throughout the year, just so we desensitize them to specific things to stress the ideas of what a mentor should look like. Understanding that we're working with students who are underrepresented and [from] equity deserving groups and how to approach that," said Marshall.
Mentors are carefully selected to deliver the best experience for students.
"We do go through a rigorous selection process. We actually hire our mentors, so mentors apply as you would for any job . . . we had a preference for Black students just because we want the students to be able to see themselves in their mentors," said Dylan.
Transportation was heavily considered to increase the program's accessibility. "In the case of our after-school program, we actually provide the transportation," said Marshall.
Students are recruited through the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and the Halton District School Board. Interested students apply through the program's registration form.
Marshall discussed the main difference between the After-School STEM Club and other programs they have offered.
"The after school club is going to be directly exposing them to all aspects of STEM. So we try to cover various workshops that are all STEM focused in the realm of biology, chemistry, physics, engineering . . . just trying to cast as wide a net as you can to expose them to a lot of different branches of STEM that they might not even have known existed in the past," said Marshall.
The necessity of the program for Black youth is rooted in the need for representation to diversify all fields in STEM. "A lot of them don't have that kind of role model essentially, to look up to, to see that it was possible beforehand. And so I think it's so important that we are proactive in showing them," said Marshall.
Marshall urges that students and faculty continue to push for more accessibility that fund programs such as the After-School STEM Club.
"Because, again, the reason why we have these gaps in STEM as of right now, is because there are issues in getting certain demographics into these positions. And so I think we have to push a bit more at this point to make sure that everybody has a seat at the table," said Marshall.
. . . there are issues in getting certain demographics into these positions. And so I think we have to push a bit more at this point to make sure that everybody has a seat at the table.
Dylan Marshall, Outreach Director
Mac iSTEP
If you're interested in Mac iSTEP's work, you can explore their programs, discover undergraduate and graduate student opportunities and follow their journey in supporting BIPOC youth by visiting their Instagram.