Impact of Dynamic Community Partnerships on STEM Education of Students of Color

Abstract

The Science Bound Model is an effective school-community partnership preparing precollege students of color to pursue college degrees and careers in STEM fields via a four-way partnership among school administrators and teachers, STEM corporations, students and families of color, and a land-grant university. For nearly 30 years, this partnership has been effective in bringing together the skill sets, resources, expertise, and opportunities necessary to support students' preparation for college and pursuit of technical degrees. The four-way partnership annually provides more than 400 students an average of 100 hours of out-of-school STEM learning experiences and mentorship by 50 teachers and 150 STEM professionals. Used in a rural community, a small city, and an urban community, the model establishes and maintains dynamic partnerships within and across partner groups. Five key factors that guide the four-way Science Bound partnership and a case example of how the model works are presented.