Meet the Chief Science Officer Students Who Brought the Program to Texas – Podcast Episode 199 | Classnotes Podcast 199

Lexis Ratto and Kelly O’Kane spoke to the San Antonio City Council about climate change.

Classnotes Podcast (November 26, 2019). While the Chief Science Officers program is designed to support new student leadership for STEM, the main reason it expanded to Texas was the leadership of two students, Kelly and Lexis. First launched in 2015 by Arizona-based SciTech Institute to elevate the voices of students in STEM, the program now exists in the United States and in other countries from Kuwait to Mexico. After the program came to San Antonio in 2018 with support from the Alamo STEM Ecosystem, a member of the International STEM Learning Ecosystem, IDRA operates the program as it grows across Texas.

In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Garcia, talks with Kelly and Lexis about their experience as CSOs and the importance of mentorship and sense of community among students. Stephanie is IDRA’s STEM and gender equity education specialist and directs IDRA’s CSO program.

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Show length: 12:49

Resources

Building a STEM Identity through the Chief Science Officer Program, by Lexis Ratto & Kelly O’Kane, IDRA Newsletter, August 2019, by San Antonio’s first CSOs

International CSO Program Comes to Texas

In new San Antonio science and tech program, students call the shots, Alia Malik, San Antonio Express-News, October 17, 2019

Video: Middle school Chief Science Officer, Alicia DeHoyos, Dwight STEM Academy, South San Antonio ISD

Videos: Speakers at CSO launch event in San Antonio

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Show Notes

  • Lexis shares how she and Kelly got started in their CSO roles.

  • Kelly talks about helping younger student CSOs with their action plans.

  • Kelly considers how the CSO program can grow in Texas over time.

  • Lexis recounts her positive experience mentoring middle school students, while Kelly comments on the networking opportunities he’s had in the program.

  • Stephanie puts out the call for more adult mentors to come and work with student CSOs.