Experiential Learning in Emerging STEM Technologies
Summer 2025
This new program focuses on developing a STEM workforce to meet the needs of emerging technologies of AI, cybersecurity, drone technology and the Internet of Things. The NSF Exlent program will tap into diverse and refugee student populations and develop students' skills in these areas.
On this page:
Overview
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) supports inclusive experiential learning opportunities that provide cohorts of diverse learners with the skills to succeed in emerging fields like Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things.
This is a multi-organizational partnership between UB's Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Immigrant and Refugee Institute, the Karen Society of Buffalo, Buffalo's Lafayette International High School and Drone Sports, Inc.
Program Directors
Eligibility
The ExLent site actively promotes opportunities to large numbers of refugee students and students who are historically underrepresented in these STEM fields. Interested participants must be:
- Rising ninth-grade to rising twelfth-grade students
- Enrolled as a student in a middle or high school in Buffalo or Western New York
Program Highlights
- Eligible students may be supported with stipends and other support expenses
- Hands-on experience utilizing the University at Buffalo's state-of-the-art research facilities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, drone technology and the internet of things
- A flexible curricula featuring a set of core and advanced elective courses
- Opportunities to present at regional and national science fairs and conferences
Programming & Databases for All (core)
This course has two components: in the first three weeks, students gain the essential Python skills needed for those BWSI courses that leverage Python in their curricula. We will cover the basics of creating computer programs from a series of simple instructions in Python. The course has no pre-requisites and avoids all but the simplest mathematics. By completing this part, students will gain a reasonable programming skill and will be ready to take more advanced courses in the emerging domains of AI, Cybersecurity, IoT, Wearable Technology Applications. In the last three weeks, this course will introduce students to the programming languages like HTML,CSS, services on the internet, creating webpages, database fundamentals through hands-on activities and experiments. By completing this part, students will be able to design simple webpages, deploy the websites with markup tools, and create simple database tables for storing data.