Experiential learning and close mentoring improve recruitment and retention in the undergraduate environmental science program at an Hispanic-serving institution

Doser, Diane I.; Lougheed, Vanessa L.; Walsh, Elizabeth J.; Hamdan, Lina; Zarei, Maryam; Corral, Guadalupe

doi:10.1080/10899995.2019.1646072

Cited by 20 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Similarly, the recommendation to encourage institutions to use research and project-based experiences as a means to increase URM engagement in STEM has also been well-supported in the literature (Hackler, 2011;Slovacek et al, 2012;Foertsch, 2019;Jin et al, 2019;Ing et al, 2021).…”

Section: Institutional Factorsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Critical Incidents for Hispanic Students on the Path to the STEM Doctorate

Horton

Torres-Catanach

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Hispanics are grossly underrepresented in the receipt of STEM Ph.Ds. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Engineering Indicators (Trapani and Hale, 2019) suggest that only 7.8% of S and E doctoral recipients are Hispanic while their representation in the population is more than twice that, and that figure goes even higher if restricted to those within the college-age range. To address this gap, the NSF has awarded a grant (the Hispanic Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate, H-AGEP) to the City College of New York and the University of Texas at El Paso to work with Hispanic STEM doctoral students to provide teaching training and preparation for academic positions so they can become role models for Hispanic community college undergraduates. In working to understand the career-decision making of our Fellows, in-depth interviews were conducted (n = 13) to understand what put them on the path to defy the odds and become a STEM doctoral recipient. Interview results suggest that isolated, critical incidents and chance events were responsible for a number of our students entering into doctoral programs. This research suggests that for some Hispanic STEM doctoral students the experience of chance events meant the path to a STEM doctorate was not assured from a young age and further, that the provision of “planned” critical incidents may support an increase in Hispanic STEM doctoral enrollment.

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Section: Institutional Factorsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Critical Incidents for Hispanic Students on the Path to the STEM Doctorate

Horton

Torres-Catanach

2022

Front. Psychol.

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“…Graduate student mentors also gained experience in training and pedagogy ( Dolan and Johnson, 2009 ; Limeri et al. , 2019 ): each mentor advised a team of four to five undergraduate students, and in-class group meetings ( Table 1 ) were intended to promote idea sharing and horizontal mentoring among peers (e.g., Jin et al. , 2019 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Hierarchical Mentoring Program Increases Confidence and Effectiveness in Data Analysis and Interpretation for Undergraduate Biology Students

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Aguilar-Roca

Henry

et al. 2020

LSE

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“…Experiential types of activities are extremely important for encouraging young women and minorities to pursue and persist in STEM academics and careers (Jin et al, 2019;Boakes, 2019;Mason et al, 2018). The hands-on interactive content, games, and access to mentors seems to result in inspiring the girls to engage with STEM content in new ways.…”

Section: Survey Responsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflections on Two Years Teaching Earth Science at the Women in Science (Wisci) Steam Camp

Adams

Oduor

Wahome

et al. 2022

J Women Minor Scien Eng

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In 2018, UNESCO reported just under 30% of all science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) positions are filled by women. Despite increasing global demand for higher paying, highly technical STEM careers women continue to face substantial barriers to STEM. There are many obstacles women may face throughout their journey to a STEM career, including lack of resources and role models, and discrimination. Studies show a near equivalent interest of boys and girls in STEM fields in early childhood; however, this ratio declines sharply through time due to various pressures girls and boys face. This compounds into considerably fewer women participating in STEAM careers. An increase in women in STEAM fields would not only increase economic activity, but would also provide a diverse perspective to develop and produce unique and innovative technology solutions. While solutions to these issues require substantial time and interventions, the Women in Science or "WiSci" STEAM camp, inclusive of the arts, was organized to try to address some of these issues. WiSci, organized by the United States Department of State and implemented by World Learning and the United Nations Foundation Girl Up program, supports young women on their journey to STEAM careers. Since 2015, Google, Intel, and others have delivered a hands-on, STEAM focused curriculum around the world. These events bring together high school girls from around the world, to expose them to STEM concepts and role models. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) participated at the camp in Malawi in 2017 and in Namibia in 2018 through the SERVIR program. SERVIR, meaning to serve in French and Spanish, is a joint NASA and USAID program that seeks to use state of the art science and technology to solve Earth's greatest challenges. This paper will provide an overview of the camps, the curriculum development, the materials NASA presented, the limitations, and the lessons learned from these important events. The NASA SERVIR team introduced hands-on Earth science applications to participants, with the objective of exposing and inspiring the girls to explore NASA Earth satellite data. The impact of the WiSci Namibia camp was assessed through the use of pre-, post-, and 6 months post-camp surveys. The results of those surveys indicated growth in confidence in the core components of the SERVIR curriculum: understanding computer skills, coding, and geospatial mapping. The surveys also indicated a high interest from all participants to choose a STEM career. The importance of exposure to the STEM workforce at a critical juncture in these young women's lives may play an important role in their career choices.

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Experiential learning and close mentoring improve recruitment and retention in the undergraduate environmental science program at an Hispanic-serving institution

Cited by 20 publications

References 18 publications

Critical Incidents for Hispanic Students on the Path to the STEM Doctorate

Critical Incidents for Hispanic Students on the Path to the STEM Doctorate

A Hierarchical Mentoring Program Increases Confidence and Effectiveness in Data Analysis and Interpretation for Undergraduate Biology Students

Reflections on Two Years Teaching Earth Science at the Women in Science (Wisci) Steam Camp

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