Chapter 6: Upward Bound: Programs That Increase Minority Students’ Completion of Degrees in STEM Fields

Much of the literature on minority student access, retention, and attainment focuses on the barriers these students normally face, underscoring minority students’ failures and deficits, rather than their achievements. Accordingly, there are still important lessons to be learned about those minority students who, despite hurdles, succeed through the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) pipeline (Harper, 2010). Community colleges are critical in helping minority students to advance in STEM careers. Many minority students who have successfully obtained a degree in STEM fields have participated in specialized programs aimed at supporting students from underrepresented groups such as the Upward Bound Math/Science Program (UBMS). UBMS is one of three TRIO programs created by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and the 1965 Higher Education Act. The UBMS program is designed to strengthen math and science skills, engaging students in meaningful activities that encourage them to pursue postsecondary degrees in math and science, and, ultimately, careers in STEM professions. Based on an antideficit model, the purpose of this chapter is to present examples of community colleges’ UBMS programs that benefit students throughout their learning experiences in their communities. We also discuss the implications of these findings for community colleges and other institutions of higher education that may want to develop similar programs to foster minority students’ success in STEM fields. To set the context, we begin with a brief description of the factors associated with the lack of minorities in STEM fields and the role of community colleges in the STEM pipeline for these groups.