Improving Underrepresented Minority STEM Students' Success Through Well-Established Culturally Responsive Programming

• In Event: Improving Minority Students' STEM Learning Through Funds of Knowledge and Culturally Responsive Practices

Abstract

Responding to the call for increasing the size and diversity of the STEM workforce in the United States, the persistence and degree attainment of underrepresented minority (URM) undergraduate students in the STEM fields have been widely discussed. Higher education institutions have adopted different approaches to support URM STEM students. This study focuses on a well-established culturally responsive program operated by a Midwestern public university, which has a comprehensive design that engages research opportunities, mentoring supports, financial aid, and workshops for the target population in 14 consecutive years. By comparing the academic outcomes of program participants of cohorts 2017-2020 with the non-participant and non-URM counterparts across the institution, this study shows that URM STEM students have benefited from this program.

Authors

• Yue Zhang, University of Minnesota

• Tai Tri Do, University of Minnesota

• Crystal Lee-Thao, University of Minnesota

• Keisha Varma, University of Minnesota

• Megan Earnest, University of Minnesota