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WiSEN: Exploring an Intercultural Mentoring Framework for Minoritized Women in STEM

Sat, April 23, 2:30 to 4:00pm PDT (2:30 to 4:00pm PDT), Manchester Grand Hyatt, Floor: 2nd Level, Harbor Tower, Seaport Ballroom C

Abstract

Objectives
Inequities and barriers still exist in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for women, particularly from minoritized backgrounds. To mitigate disparities, educational and mentoring programs have been implemented to attract more women and girls into STEM (Cole & Espinoza, 2011), decrease the attrition rate of those in STEM majors (STEMconnector, 2017), and provide psychosocial support systems for women along the continuum of STEM pathways (Starobin et al., 2013). While there is research that documents mentoring efforts to support women pursuing STEM degrees, few studies document the development and implementation of a national mentoring network. The current research documents the initial phase of developing an international women’s mentoring network called, WiSEN – Women in STEM Education Network. We report the findings of a pilot study with undergraduate and graduate women in STEM programs across nine universities. The pilot program sought to answer the research question: What would a mentoring program look like for minoritized women in STEM?
Theoretical Construct
This project draws on intersectionality and community cultural wealth perspective as an eclectic approach through which we can encourage critical thought and praxis among WiSEN participants and institutional partners. Intersectionality speaks to the processes through which structures of power (including gender, race, class, and sexuality, just to name a few), combine to produce oppressive experiences for minoritized groups. While the use of intersectionality underscores the structures of power that frame institutional climate across the U.S., we recognize that it fails to center the specific knowledge and skills of marginalized groups. To address this theoretical limitation, and to enhance the practical implications of this project, we have also employed the use of the community cultural wealth and social-cultural perspective.
Methods and Data Sources
We conducted virtual focus groups (Wilkinson, 1998) with undergraduate and graduate STEM minoritized women students from 9 universities. Participating institutions included private and public 2 and 4-year universities across the U.S. and the Caribbean. The goal of focus groups was to determine students’ needs and interests in a STEM mentoring network for diverse women (Yosso, 2005).
Results
Findings from the student focus groups revealed four overarching themes. Those are: (1) access to broader STEM networks; (2) leadership opportunities; (3) acknowledgement of ethnic and cultural background; and (4) learning how to leverage cultural wealth and community capital in STEM.
Significance of the Study
Underrepresented groups exit the pipeline through metaphorical "leaks,” such as social and academic challenges preventing them from making successful progress along the STEM pathways. However, most colleges and universities fail to adopt initiatives that retain and mentor these students to stay in a STEM major, continue on to graduate school, and ultimately find success in STEM professional fields (Hodes, 2016). The cultivation of mentoring relationships between students, their professors, and peers is a critical factor in determining the successful completion of university programs (Adams, 1992; Davidson & Foster-Johnson, 2001; Phillip, 1993). This research addresses this need by identifying an effective mentoring framework to support students while in their graduate and undergraduate STEM programs.

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