Chapter 3: Mentoring for STEM Advocacy

The challenge of meeting the nation’s demand for diverse talent in STEM is underscored by the amount of money and funding invested in interventions aimed at recruiting and retaining underserved populations into STEM careers (Tsui, 2007). Turning to informal learning environments as a means of introducing students to STEM content has shown promise as a viable intervention for STEM advocacy. Informal learning environments may act as a vehicle to introduce STEM related concepts and STEM careers to students as they exist and operate outside of the normal school hours, where students spend 87% of their time (Gerber, Cavallo, & Marek, 2001). Research has provided evidence of mentorships’ impact on learning (Maughan, 2006) and as an informal learning experience mentoring has shown promise as a strategy for the recruiting and retaining underserved students in STEM fields (Denson & Hill, 2010). The literature is clear that efforts to recruit and retain minority students to STEM careers should include a comprehensive approach that addresses social and psychological facets in addition to academic support (Kendricks, Nedunuri, & Arment, 2013; Wilson et al., 2012). We argue that the mentoring experience is uniquely positioned to impact learning and address issues of psychological and sociological support needed for STEM advocacy.