The Long-Term Impact of FirstHand: A Retrospective Analysis from a Single Case Study

The 7th Grade Spark: Bridging Curiosity and Identity

Sajida’s journey into STEM highlights the potential impact of well-timed intervention. Her interest in science was burgeoning in the 7th grade, sparked by a creative cell-modeling project in school. However, it was her participation in FirstHand during this specific window that acted as the essential catalyst, transforming a passing classroom interest into a lifelong professional identity. When asked what inspired her current choice of a Biology major in college, her answer was definitive: "Honestly, I would say it really did start from 7th grade." While she would go on to participate in later offerings¹ , her perception of FirstHand is anchored almost entirely in the in-person middle school experience. By providing a fun, supportive, and engaging outlet for her emerging curiosity at such a formative age, the program solidified her commitment to the field. Her story demonstrates that FirstHand is a high-impact program that does more than teach; it has the potential to nurture the existing interests of students and propel them through high school and into a college STEM major.

Mentorship and the Creation of a "Safe Space"

A primary driver of Sajida's success in the program was the emotional and psychological safety provided by the program’s facilitator, Melissa. She described her middle school self as a multilingual learner and noted that, as such, the barrier to participation in science is often linguistic in nature. Sajida credited Melissa with creating an environment where she felt protected and valued regardless of her fluency. She reflected, "I would say Melissa played a big role in, you know, where I am today, because she kind of made this safe space, I would say." This "safe space" allowed her to build self-efficacy by presenting her ideas, like her helix-shaped solar bridge, without the fear of judgment, building a sense of confidence and self-efficacy that she carried into high school and college.

Sajida’s description of FirstHand as a space where she felt safe, noticed, and respected mirrors the experiences of students across cohorts, many of whom describe FirstHand as a place where all voices matter and where they feel more respected than at school. Students repeatedly emphasize that staff relationships, not just the activities, create the conditions that allow them to participate, speak up, and take risks in learning. Her reflections align with a broader pattern documented in student focus groups²: FirstHand’s emphasis on hands-on experimentation, visual learning, and collaborative problem-solving reduces fear and increases engagement for many students, particularly those who struggle in traditional classroom settings. Additionally, Sajida’s observation that peer behavior shifted within the FirstHand environment reflects a broader student perception that FirstHand’s structure, norms, and expectations fundamentally change how young people interact with one another. Across focus groups, students consistently contrast the calm, focused atmosphere of FirstHand to the opposite of their school environments, emphasizing that this difference allows them to participate without fear of disruption or ridicule.

Building Self-Efficacy through Hands-on, Relevant Activities

The hands-on experimentation and act of doing made an impact on Sajida. She spoke with clarity about learning to use a professional pipette, a skill she viewed as a badge of entry into the scientific world and as “like the coolest thing I’ve learned.” She described gaining confidence during presentations, explaining that making eye contact with potential investors and having the opportunity to share her own ideas transforms initial nervousness into confidence because she understands the material and feels ownership over what she is presenting, because it is “your own ideas!” Her long-term confidence in speaking, presenting, and engaging with adults offers a longitudinal view of changes that many students begin to articulate during focus groups. Shortly after participating in FirstHand, students frequently report increased participation, reduced anxiety, and pride in their work. Sajida’s retrospective account suggests these early shifts can persist and shape how young people see themselves years later.

This early technical success was critical; she recalled entering advanced high school courses years later and feeling ahead of her peers because she had already handled the equipment. Additionally, she credited her experiences in the program with giving her the confidence and opportunity to be competitive for internships years later in college.

Ultimately, Sajida’s reflections suggest that the power of the program lies in its combination of a professional physical space and supportive mentorship. Leaving her school building to enter a state-of-the-art lab signaled to her, and to her parents, that her scientific interests were important and real. Her descriptions of her parents’ pride and excitement upon entering the space for the showcase mirror what many families expressed while watching students present their final showcase projects: a sense of joy, pride, excitement, and gratitude. Across student focus groups and family feedback during showcase sessions, parents frequently described feeling impressed by students’ confidence, surprised by the sophistication of their work, and eager to encourage siblings to participate. Together, these moments suggest that FirstHand’s impact often extends beyond individual students, reinforcing family pride and expanding perceptions of who belongs in STEM spaces.

This professional atmosphere, combined with Sajida’s own emerging interest, ultimately led to this full-circle moment when she returned to the program as a college co-op intern. Her story serves as a powerful testament to the fact that you do not need a lifetime of programming to change a student's life; rather, a high-quality experience in middle school can provide the necessary foundation for a student to build the rest of their career themselves.

FirstHand is For Everyone

Because the program significantly impacted her own life, Sajida emphasized that FirstHand should not be reserved only for students who already identify as "science-oriented." She views the program as a vital opportunity for discovery for all types of learners, noting that "I think it should be for everyone, to be honest, because at the end of the day, you don't really know what a program can do." Her experience suggests that for students who find traditional school to be a chore of tests and grades, the hands-on, voluntary nature of FirstHand can reveal hidden talents and interests. By providing a "science vibe" that feels professional rather than academic, the program has the potential to spark a fire in students who might otherwise be counted out by the traditional education system.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Sajida’s story is a testament to the fact that high-quality programming in middle school can provide the momentum necessary to set a student on a path towards STEM. Of course, she acknowledged that she was also interested in STEM and therefore sought out different opportunities to engage in STEM in high school. While she did not participate in continuous programming throughout high school, the foundation laid in the 7th grade was sufficient to keep her on the path to a STEM degree and a return to the Science Center as a college intern. The depth of this impact was perhaps most clear to Sajida herself during this reflection: "I never knew it meant this much to me until I spoke about it, you know? Really, it's been… it left a great, huge impact on my life."

Her story helps illuminate how FirstHand‘s short-term experiences, feeling safe, being seen, engaging in hands-on learning, and speaking without fear, can translate into long-term shifts in confidence, identity, and opportunity. Her reflections align with consistent patterns observed across multiple cohorts, suggesting that when students experience belonging and competence early, even brief interventions can leave lasting impressions.

The contents of this report were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program (Award #S411C210055). However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

The Experiencing STEM FirstHand project is a collaboration between the Science Center's FirstHand™ program and researchers at AnLar and the City University of New York (CUNY).

¹ Sajida participated in several FirstHand programs, including the "Hi-5" summer program and a high school entrepreneurship program. However, because these occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and were largely virtual, she noted they lacked the same resonance as her middle school years. Her reflections on the program’s impact are centered on the hands-on, in-person environment she experienced in 7th and 8th grade.

² Yi, R. Y., Sealy, M., and Gagnier, K. M. (2025). Formative Evaluation Report Cohort 3: Firsthand Students’ Perceptions of the Program Fall 2024. Technical Report produced by AnLar for FirstHand S411C210055.

Sealy M., & Gagnier, K. M. (2024). Formative Evaluation Report Cohort 2: Firsthand Students’ Perceptions of the Program and Their Science Beliefs. Technical Report produced by AnLar for FirstHand S411C210055.