2024 CEGE JuMP in STEM

Born out of a passion for science and math, JuMP in STEM (officially the CEGE Junior Mentoring Program in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is an educational outreach program in which graduate engineering students teach advanced math to high school students. JuMP in STEM has a goal of providing opportunities for BIPOC, women, or low-income students to learn more about STEM. Originally designed to serve high school juniors, the program has now extended to students in 9th – 12th grades. The program is individualized, but generally consists of two parts. First, a series of sessions taught by graduate students on problem solving and math concepts. Second, the students are mentored through an individual project. 

The program was first developed by Svetlana Baranova (Ph.D. 2021) under the guidance of her adviser Sofia Mogilevskaya. Mohammad Charara took the reins next. And in 2023, the JUMP in STEM program was led by graduate students Rohit Satish Patil (funded through Mogilevskaya’s NSF project) and Prasanna Salasiya (funded by the center on Geo-processes in Mineral Carbon Storage). These outreach and teaching activities represent broader impacts of those two funding agencies. 

“I absolutely enjoy teaching young students interested in STEM. I am a firm believer in the fact that teaching is the best way to learn. I use programming everyday for my research yet there are always new concepts that come up. For high school students interested in STEM, I would say that such courses are the best way to get acquainted with science concepts because the art of programming is scientific thinking.” – Prasanna Salasiya

“This is my first time teaching in the JuMP in STEM program. I observed the diligent efforts of JuMP students, who displayed remarkable dedication, curiosity, and passion for enhancing their programming skills. This experience proved beneficial for both students and mentors, providing opportunities for mutual learning and skill improvement.” – Rohit Satish Patil

The first program participant was the Eden Prairie High School student Abi Rajasekaran. In 2021, she was selected as a Minnesota Aspirations in Computing (AiC) State Winner. She is currently a student at Case Western Reserve University.
Another early participant was Harini Senthilkumar. In 2022, she earned Honorable Mention at the Minnesota AiC. She just finished her first year at UC Berkeley. Senthilkumar recently wrote to Mogilevskaya thanking her for “support throughout my high school journey, your guidance and mentoring with research work was tremendously helpful!” AiC honors 9th-12th grade women students for their computing-related achievements and interests and encourages them to pursue passions in computing and technology. 
 

Students or teachers who want to know more about the program can contact Rohit Satish Patil at patil168@umn.edu.