Summary
Examination of the role of participation in science and engineering fairs (SEFs) on youth's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational and career choices. Using social cultural career theory (SCCT) linked with tenets of equity. Teacher built self-efficacy using equitable pedagogy by putting the students in control of their projects, create a network of experts in various science disciplines, develope a culture of mentorship that promoted belonging, and removed barriers for student participation by blending academics with culture mixed socioeconomic status students. Quantitative findings reveal former student's orientation to participation in science fair activities related to their high interests, perceptions of a challenge, curiosity, and emerging mastery, where students demonstrated high dispositions in science and engineering and self-identified as STEM people.
Constructs:
• Self-efficiacy
• Interset
• Learning Experiences
Target-group specific type and implementation of fairs, teachers and lecturers as mentors (important role!), along with capacity restrictions. Teacher promotion as key factor.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
The gained results of using science and engineering fairs for STEM activiation shows that this could be a good approach for our project and should be taken into account as one possible method.

Point of Strength
Using fairs in different implementations as STEM enabler

DOI
10.1002/sce.21615

Keywords
Science and engineering fairs, social cultural career theory, mentoring