2022 InventEd Convening

Examining the Narratives of Latina Students who Participated in Invention Education

Cristina Sáenz (Lemelson-MIT), Evelyn Gómez (Lemelson-MIT) & Audra Skukauskaite (University of Central Florida)

Less than 2% of patent holders in the United States identify as Latina. This is problematic considering the increasing Latinx population and the empirical evidence which indicates the benefits of drawing on diverse perspectives in the invention ecosystem. Little is known about Latina students who have participated in Invention Education. In this breakout session, we share the findings from Cristina’s dissertation, a narrative study which analyzed how the life experiences of three Latina students who participated on a high school InvenTeam contributed to their identity development as inventors. We also share the experiences of Evelyn Gomèz (copresenter), patent holder, MIT alumni, and former InvenTeam leader.

We will also discuss the different types of cultural capital young inventors draw on throughout the development of their identities. We make the case for utilizing Invention Education as an approach to engage Latinas and other underrepresented students in invention and STEM and we conclude our presentation by arguing that IvE should be embedded within the school day.