College Mentors as Agents of Change in a Math University-Community Partnership Engaging Latinx Youth (Poster 3)

• In Event: University-Community Engagement as a Strategy for Dismantling Racial Injustice and Co-Constructing Educational Possibilities

Abstract

Afterschool programs can support youth in seeing their future selves in STEM, by influencing their interests, attitudes and motivation related to STEM and by promoting STEM knowledge and skills (Pear Institute, 2016), particularly for youth from historically marginalized groups who attend lower quality schools and do not feel supported there. In college, students from diverse backgrounds often struggle with uninspiring and culturally incongruent STEM learning environments (Cole & Espinoza, 2008).


STEM university-community partnerships, whereby youth are paired with undergraduate mentors, are intergenerational opportunities to promote positive development for all individuals involved. For example, by interacting with campus resources and by developing positive relationships with diverse undergraduates who can serve as role models for STEM pathways, youth can gain knowledge about college and STEM careers and can develop socio-emotional skills that are crucial to navigating and succeeding in school and the workforce (Authors, 2022; Fredricks et al., 2017). For undergraduates, mentoring is an authentic way to contribute to society in meaningful ways and develop a sense of purpose (Seider, 2007; Deutsch et al., 2017).


The purpose of this study is to investigate mentorship relationships at a math university-community partnership (Math CEO) engaging Latinx youth in southern California, and the role of undergraduates as agents of change. We also examine program practices that promote positive developmental outcomes for both mentors and youth. We draw on a theoretical model of mentors’ influence as non-kin agents who are well positioned to provide key forms of social and institutional support (Stanton-Salazar, 2011), and on the Program-Activities-Relationships-Culture (PARC) model (Hirsch et al., 2011) which suggests that program activities and relationships with staff and peers can promote a range of positive outcomes within an afterschool program, and that afterschool programs need to be responsive to youths’ cultural backgrounds in order to be effective.


Math CEO is a partnership between a Hispanic-Serving Institution and nearby Latinx communities, which features weekly mathematical enrichment sessions on a college campus and STEM-focused field trips for middle-school students. Undergraduate students facilitate math activities and partake in weekly training through a university course. About 98% of students at the partner schools are Latinx and eligible for free/reduced; only 14% meet or exceed the state mathematics standards. The undergraduates at the partner university are 60% first-generation college students, 47% low-income, and 25% Latinx.


Data for this study were collected from youth and college participants through quantitative surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews. Measures for youth included math motivational beliefs, familiarity with college settings, program quality, and culturally responsive program practices. Measures for mentors included math motivational beliefs, relational and teaching self-efficacy and sense of contribution. The semi-structured interviews of Math CEO mentors and youths also focused on their perceptions of mentoring relationships and on culturally-responsive practices at Math CEO.


Findings from this study contribute to our understanding of the specific ways mentorship relations at a university-community partnership between a Hispanic-serving institution and its nearby Latinx communities can promote positive development for both youth and undergraduates, and disrupt systemic inequities in education.

Authors

• Alessandra Pantano, University of California - Irvine

• Mark Vincent B. Yu, NA

• Stephanie Soto-Lara, Charitable Ventures

• Ta-yang Hsieh, Search Institute

• Li-Sheng Tseng, University of California - Irvine

• Sandra D. Simpkins, University of California - Irvine