CU Boulder’s chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) welcomed Hispanic middle and high school students from across the Denver metro area for the third annual Día de Ciencias in early-April. Through hands-on activities in water quality, robotics and STEM, students explored the possibilities of engineering and saw that a future in science and technology is possible. 

Middle school students were tasked to create a prosthetic leg in an imaginary zombie apocalypse and competed against other teams to see who had the strongest and most stable leg. 

While the number of Hispanic students earning engineering degrees in the United States has nearly doubled over the past decade, significant gaps in representation and access to STEM education remain.

“I didn’t even know what engineering was growing up,” Cindia Denova Garduno, a recent architectural engineering graduate, said. 

Her story represents the challenge that Día de Ciencias or Day of Science aims to solve—how can Hispanic youth pursue engineering if they’ve never been exposed to it?

In being part of the solution, the SHPE partnered with CU Engineering’s Integrated Teaching and Learning Program (ITLP), to make Día de Ciencias a reality for the young attendees. SHPE also received generous funding support from the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering to make this venue possible. 

Led by Arly Diaz de Leon, an environmental engineering student and the event’s main organizer for the past three years, the SHPE and ITLP worked together to plan STEM activities and workshops for students from the Boulder Valley School District and JeffCo Public Schools. The collaboration hopes to expand their outreach to more schools in future years.

“One of my favorite highlights from the event was seeing both the students and parents excited to learn about the world of engineering,” Diaz de Leon said. “Hearing amazing input from parents and their eagerness to already sign up for next year’s Día de Ciencias was so fulfilling. It’s proof that even one day of exposure can spark a lifelong interest in STEM.”

Throughout the day, students were divided into groups for hands-on engineering activities tailored to their grade levels.

  K-2nd graders explored water science by building levees and water filtration systems.

  3rd-6th graders practiced coding skills with micro technology.

  7th-12th graders tackled the ‘Zombie Got My Leg’ challenge, where teams designed and built prosthetic legs out of materials like cardboard, bubble wrap, PVC pipe and tape, simulating how engineers work creatively within real-world constraints.

Behind the scenes: A collaborative effort

The event relied on a team of SHPE student members working behind the scenes. 

“This year’s Día de Ciencia was a lot of fun and successful,” Denova Garduno said. “On the day of the event, I was mainly involved with making sure everything was set up properly to ensure the best experience for our volunteers and the wonderful families that joined us.”

The event not only exposed students to engineering fundamentals but also emphasized family involvement in the college journey. During the event, parents had opportunities to attend workshops on college readiness and financial aid, which is critical for the transition from high school to college. 

Keriann Jacobson, education and outreach coordinator at the ITLP, emphasized the importance of the collaborative approach taken between SHPE and the college.

“We are proud to partner with SHPE in creating hands-on engineering experiences that spark a passion for STEM in the next generation of engineers,” Jacobson said. “This allowed us to engage not only with students, but also with their families, bringing parents into the conversation and making them active participants in their children’s STEM education.”

Personal journeys in STEM

For Diaz de Leon, the journey leading up to her leadership of Día de Ciencias has been personal. As a first-generation college student, she participated in CU Boulder’s Pre Collegiate Development Program, which helped build the leadership skills she now used to inspire others, she said. After initially pursuing chemical engineering, her experience working in an environmental engineering lab and seeing tangible impacts on public health policy motivated her to switch majors.

Denova Garduno (left) and Diaz De Leon (right) attending the 2024 SHPE Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

“Being a part of SHPE has opened up so many opportunities for me as an underrepresented woman in engineering,” Diaz de Leon said. “Leading this event has given me the courage to advocate for myself and others, both in school and as I look toward my future career.”

Denova Garduno shares this commitment to representation and mentorship. 

“Helping organize Día De Ciencia motivated me to continue pushing forward in my career by reminding me of one of the most important goals as a Latina in STEM,” she explained, “which is to be an engineer who can help future Hispanic students believe that they, too, belong in STEM.”

Denova Garduno recalled how she had a wonderful math teacher, Ms. Mejia, who noted how good she was in math in middle school. That left a very important mark to her which  shaped her future as an engineer. From that moment, she was inspired to create opportunities for young students to explore engineering. 

“There is so much pride and joy in seeing the children participate in STEM activities,” Denova Garduno said. “It reinforces how powerful it is for young students to work together as a team to create something they can test and be proud of.”

Diaz de Leon hopes to pass down the lessons she’s learned to the next generation of SHPE leaders and to the young students they serve. 

“We have overcome many hurdles just by being here,” Diaz de Leon said. 

“And we should never forget that we all started as eager young kids, curious about the world of STEM.”