Multilayered Mentorship Models for STEM Equity (2025-2026)

Background

The underrepresentation of women and minoritized groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields persists despite their growing presence in the U.S. population. In 2019, women earned only 20% of engineering degrees, while Latinx, Black and Native groups earned 16%, 9% and 0.4% of science and engineering degrees despite accounting for much larger population shares.

Prior studies have shown that mentorship from diverse role models can help students from underrepresented backgrounds develop a stronger sense of belonging and self-efficacy in STEM. Mentorship-based programs may help address the STEM underrepresentation problem by promoting authentic communication, group collaboration and safe spaces for community-focused STEM activities.

InventHERs Institute and TechArts & Crafts are two complementary models that connect underrepresented groups – and especially K-12 students – with STEM. The InventHERs Institute involves faculty and staff, undergraduate students, and elementary student-caregiver dyads (in third through fifth grades). Faculty and staff serve as role models, while undergraduate students act as researchers and mentors to the dyads. The dyads attend Saturday sessions where they engage in engineering design challenges that address real-world problems in their communities.

TechArts & Crafts workshops provide authentic creation opportunities for participants ages 6-45, especially K-12 students, by fusing computing and engineering concepts with culturally relevant fashion, music and design activities. Both models test the effectiveness of a multilayered mentoring approach that positions faculty, undergraduate students and community members as role models and mentors for underrepresented groups.

Project Description

This project aims to foster the development of positive STEM identities through mentorship-based counterspaces that promote authentic communication and group collaboration. Team members will implement the InventHERs Institute and TechArts & Crafts models in parallel, collecting data through surveys, focus groups, observations and artifacts to address three main questions:

1. How does participation impact K-12 student STEM identity development?
2. What is the effect on undergraduates' interest and retention in STEM?
3. Which project components are most effective in supporting K-12 STEM identity?

InventHERs Institute participants will include about ten pairs of third- to fifth-grade girls and their maternal caregivers. Over five Saturday sessions, child-caregiver dyads will tackle engineering design challenges linked to real-world community issues, emphasizing critical thinking, technical skills and understanding of social and policy implications.

Meanwhile, TechArts & Crafts will engage about 200 elementary to high school students. Participants will blend engineering and cultural arts in workshops to create personalized projects such as e-textiles and interactive art. This approach combines technical skills like coding with artistic expression.

Team members will serve as role models, mentoring younger students and conducting research on program outcomes while fostering their own skills in engineering education. Surveys, focus groups and interviews for both programs will assess confidence, social support and STEM interest.

Anticipated Outputs

Data on fostering equity in STEM education; STEM kits; curricula; academic papers; policy briefs

Student Opportunities

Ideally, this project team will include 2 graduate students and 8 undergraduate students from majors such as computer science, engineering, education, public policy and psychology. Team members should have experience or interest in working with K-12 students and their caregivers, as well as a commitment to inclusivity and equity in STEM. Team members should have varied perspectives to bring diverse experiences and insights that align with the project’s aims of fostering a sense of belonging and developing civic-minded engineering professionals through real-world, community-focused problem-solving.

The team will meet weekly and team members will be divided into subteams focusing on areas like curriculum design and research methods. Students will plan and facilitate InventHERs and TechArts & Crafts sessions as role models. Team members will also support research, including collecting quantitative and qualitative data, conducting statistical analysis and processing focus group findings using thematic analysis.

Students will gain skills in curriculum development, mentorship and communication. They will also learn technical and research skills. Additionally, team members will have opportunities to engage with external partners such as Durham Public Schools and Inspiring Minds RDU.

There will be an optional summer research component for eight weeks from June 3- August 2 for 10 hours per week.

Timing

Summer 2025 – Spring 2026

• Summer 2025 (optional): Begin weekly project meetings and monthly partner meetings; update surveys
• Fall 2025: Continue project and partner meetings; recruit and support TechArts participants; collect pre- and post- data; evaluate data; work on policy briefs; create STEM kits for dissemination
• Spring 2026: Continue project and partner meetings; support InventHERs and TechArts activities; collect pre- and post- data; evaluate data; work on publications and STEM kits

Crediting

Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters; summer funding available

 

_{Image: Participants in the InventHERs Institute prepare for hands-on activities}