Resilient STEM College Student Support Programs: Lessons of COVID-19 in Northern New Jersey

• In Event: Stressor and Resilience Among College Students

Abstract

Programs designed to boost STEM participation among historically underrepresented community members make implicit assumptions about the stability of the environment in which they are deployed. Using a sample of 378 post-secondary students in an early COVID-19 hotspot, we explore how disruptions related to COVID-19 can reveal the taken-for-granted elements of these interventions with an eye toward informing more resilient interventions in the future. We also highlight positive impacts of the disruption as reported by students. We hope that these insights can help programs plan for future disruptions - both major and minor.

Authors

• Amanda Menier, SageFox Consulting Group

• Kenneth A Rath, Rath Educational Evaluation and Research

• Jeffrey Xavier, SageFox Consulting Group

• Alan Peterfreund

• Thyra Tuttle, SageFox Consulting Group

• Rebecca Zarch, SageFox Consulting Group