"Just Like Me": Improving the Image of Engineering for Elementary School Students

Engineering education is no exception to the disproportionately low representation of racially and ethnically diverse students. To improve the representation in STEM fields, informal learning environments are locations for the involvement of racially and ethnically diverse students with STEM activities. We propose the identity portraits as a tool to increase the awareness of the contributions of African Americans, Latinx, and Hispanic professional to the field of STEM for 3-5th-grade students. To date, these representations are limited to discussions during Black history month or other cultural awareness celebrations which marginalize these populations from the dominant narrative.