S.C.O.P.E. students finish four-week program with final research presentations

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Education marked the end of its annual Summer College Opportunity Program in Education (S.C.O.P.E.) recently in the Krause Innovation Studio with the final research presentations of the 13 students in this year’s cohort.

Started in 2002, S.C.O.P.E. is a four-week rigorous academic enrichment and orientation program offering the opportunity to experience college life during the summer session at Penn State’s University Park campus.

To be eligible, students must be from a background traditionally underrepresented in the field of education, be entering the 11th grade in the upcoming school year, be enrolled in a college preparatory curriculum, be interested in an education career, have a high school cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

The students, affectionately called “SCOPErs," began the four-week session by selecting a contemporary issue in education. The initial project was to write a research proposal on their selected issue. Next, they explored positions and solutions surrounding their issue through Pattee and Paterno Library. SCOPErs compiled a list of these sources using the American Psychological Association (APA) as a form of documentation. Finally, the students completed their project by developing a solution or by further clarifying their understanding of the problem.

On the final day of S.C.O.P.E., friends, family, faculty, staff and the general public are invited to attend the presentations held at the Krause Innovation Studios in Chambers Building and ask the students questions and provide constructive feedback on their research. The experience provides the students with skills that will be necessary to their future success as a college student.

The program aligns with the College of Education’s stated mission of “changing education by educating for change” by seeking to increase access for more people from different backgrounds in the education field. Additionally, this approach aims to improve outcomes for all students by allowing more students to not only see themselves represented throughout the educational field, but among those involved in the decision-making process at the local, state and federal levels as well.

“S.C.O.P.E. underlines the College of Education’s commitment toward the reduction of inter-group disparities and the nation’s need to diversify the education profession,” said Brenda Martinez, director of the College of Education’s Office of Education and Social Equity, which organizes and runs S.C.O.P.E. “In doing so, the college recognizes the importance of outreach and early intervention practices as a key means of increasing the recruitment, participation and success rates of underrepresented students in college and in the education field.”

This year’s student presentations covered a variety of education-related topics.

Student presentations

• Caleb Armstrong, Dallastown Area High School – “The Mental Health Journey of Caribbean-American Teens”
• Dustin Becker, Hazelton Area High School – “The Role of Social Media in Academic Decline”
• Savannah Clark, The Milton Hershey School – “Hidden Beneath Expectations: Challenging Racial Bias Through Restorative Practices”
• Chasity Cornett, The Milton Hershey School – “More Than an Advancement of Technology: The Impacts of LLMs [Large Language Models] on High School Students”
• Jenie Hernandez-Santos, Upper Darby High School – “Beyond Language: Building Holistic Support Systems for Latinx ESL [English as a Second Language] Students”
• Jahmere McDuffie, Academy Park High School – “Learning While Black: Racial Bias Against African American Students in the Classroom”
• Philip Mitchell, The Milton Hershey School – “Atmosphere to Achievement: The Influence of School Climate on Student Engagement and Academics”
• Matison Sample, North Penn High School – “The Attack on Education: The Impact Book Bans Have on Students”
• Mila Santana Perez, Lehigh Valley Academy – “Masked History: The Impact of Indigenous Underrepresentation on Native American Students”
• Victoria Stewart, The Milton Hershey School – “You Run Like a Girl: The Mental Health of Female Student Athletes”
• Niaja Troutman, Immaculate Conception High School – “Undermined Potential: How the Lack of Support in School Fails Black Boys”
• Gabby Watson, The Milton Hershey School – “Unseen, Unspoken, Unhealed: The Crisis of Grieving Teens in Our Schools”
• Jack Zhang, The Milton Hershey School – “Old Values, New Problems: How Traditional Chinese Culture Has Affected the Perception of Mental Health”

“Our S.C.O.P.E. students demonstrated incredible dedication and enthusiasm as they explored college access and career pathways that aligned with their goals and interests,” Martinez said. “They worked hard, engaged deeply and showed a real desire to understand the challenges within education systems. These conversations inspired many to reflect on their own journeys, what kind of support they need, what kind of impact they want to make, and how their college and career choices can shape not only their lives, but the communities they care about.”

The S.C.O.P.E. Program is possible thanks to the support from the Penn State College of Education; Nancy S. Arnold Fund; John and Maryann Gilmartin; Tom and Jackie Jenkins Endowment; Nolan-Landers Fund; Maria J. Schmidt Endowment; Julie Welker; John & Michael West Endowment; Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity; and Our Education and S.C.O.P.E. Alumni.

Any school or organization that would like more information about S.C.O.P.E. should email OESE-COE@psu.edu.