This study explores the relationship between students’ perceptions of their Data Jam experience and their expectancy-value beliefs in science. The initiative involved middle and high school students analyzing ecological data from Puerto Rico’s El Yunque rainforest using the Common Online Data Analysis Platform (CODAP). The research is based on Eccles’ Expectancy-Value, which found that expectations of success and the value they place on the field of science is correlated with their future career choices about science. The research analyzed data from 461 students and 20 teachers to examine the relationship between the perceived difficulty of the tasks and teachers’ engagement of scientific inquiry with students’ perceptions of expectancy-value. Results showed that higher student perceptions of task easiness and teachers’ use of inquiry methods positively influenced students’ post-initiative expectancy and value scores. These findings suggest that appropriately challenging scientific inquiry experiences can enhance students’ beliefs in their ability to succeed in science and the value they place on the field, potentially promoting long-term participation in STEM fields. The study highlights the initiative’s potential to broaden participation in science among underrepresented Hispanic students in Puerto Rico, aligning with broader efforts to address STEM disparities.