In May this year, we were thrilled to receive notification from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) that ESTE Leverage was awarded a seed fund grant to further our mission of helping girls to pursue their interests freely using a new model that unifies Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, and Engineering (ESTE). If you’ve started this journey with us, you now know that the ‘new model’ refers to the ESTE Assessment based on the framework we introduced earlier this year (see Figure).

Since the introduction of the ESTE Framework and initial work completed on the ESTE Assessment, we have continued to grow the ESTE Team which now includes two psychometricians. We are privileged to have the experience and expertise of Drs. Meilin Chang, Ph.D., and Wyndi Ludwikowski, Ph.D. to help inform our assessment tool's continued enhancement and validation. Through their knowledgebase and experience, the ESTE Assessment will build on and leverage the research already conducted in this area while refining the Assessment to target and hone in on specific preferences, such as technology, or traits/skills, such as grit and self-efficacy.

Back in June of 2022, Terrisa Duenas, Founder and CEO of ESTE Leverage, and Cecilia Duenas and I, Carmen Duenas Lamp, participated in the Atisa Entrepreneurship Youth Education Workshop in Guam hosted by the University of Guam. Atisa is a Chamorro word meaning to intensify or accelerate. The goal of the workshop was to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in students, moving them past the initial stage of idea generation into the implementation of a successful and profitable company. During this workshop, we conducted a pre-pilot test of the initial version of the ESTE Assessment.

Fast forward to the current period where Jose Duenas, the eldest sibling, and I are travelling to Guam next week to meet with the Principal, Assistant Principal, and Science teachers of L.P. Untalan Middle School. During this visit, we’re looking forward to getting to know the Untalan team with whom we are partnering to deliver the ESTE assessment to 500-1000 middle schoolers. Data from these assessments will help inform a more robust and validated assessment tool with the next iteration with further advancement toward our ultimate NSF project output.

Thank you for being on this journey with us and continuing to support our collective mission!

ESTE® Leverage - founded in the belief that Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, and Engineering are innate in each of us - grounded in the science of learning & assessment - dedicated to the realized potential in every individual.