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1. Inclusive Team Internships in Sustainability Studies as a Promising Practice for Enhancing Sense of Belonging Among Groups Underrepresented in STEM

   https://doi.org/10.1002/he.70024  

   Emery, Elizabeth; Spinks, Hailey; Murray, Matthew; Besen‐Cassino, Yasemin; Johnson, Brian; Perez, Emma Nunez; Cumberbatch, Iman; Billings, Lora; Goodey, Nina; Tuininga, Amy (May 2026, New Directions for Higher Education)

   ABSTRACT Sense of belonging is regularly cited as a barrier for student entry into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This study of six years of data, collected from 160 undergraduate students who participated in the summer Green Teams Internship Program managed by the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies at Montclair State University (NJ), provides new strategies and structures for universities seeking to improve sense of belonging among students underrepresented in STEM fields. Quantitative and qualitative results from this mixed‐methods study (including the SURE survey of learning gains and focus group sessions) suggest that focus on teamwork and real‐world sustainability projects, in tandem with professional training and equitable support services, contribute to a sense of belonging in STEM, particularly among women and Hispanic students. SummaryWraparound support for summer interns (paid participation, holistic application review, food, housing, transportation, computers, Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging [DEIB] training, ethics training) can remove barriers to participation, improve access, and create communities of practice that increase student sense of belonging.Team internships create a welcoming and inclusive environment where peers and mentors learn from and support one another as they work toward resolving a common goal. Group work helps build confidence, develop tolerance for obstacles, and hone professional skills, particularly for students currently underrepresented in STEM fields.Sustainability, a transdisciplinary field that addresses complex social issues related to equity and justice, provides an inclusive pathway to STEM for students from a variety of majors and life experiences. Everyone belongs because each person shares valuable expertise in a particular discipline.Meaningful real‐world projects among universities and corporate and community partners build self‐confidence and bridge the gap between classroom learning and the professional world. They dispel stereotypes about who belongs in the STEM world, familiarize students with career opportunities in STEM, develop professional networks, and build social capital. 

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2. The effect of group counseling on hope with diverse undergraduates during sustainability-focused internship

   https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1601451  

   Spinks, Hailey; Hannon, Michael D; Murray, Matthew; Goodey, Nina M; Billings, Lora; Tuininga, Amy (August 2025, Frontiers in Education)

   Many adolescents report feeling overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, and hopeless in the face of global climate change. These feelings are both valid and antithetical to the necessary hope and courage it takes to address real-world environmental crises and contribute to meaningful societal impact. The Green Teams Program, an internship-based experiential learning initiative, prepares young professionals with skills and knowledge needed to address these challenges and provides an intentionally inclusive and safe environment for students from all backgrounds to do so. This structured environment includes psychoeducational group counseling among other supports. Intern self-assessments revealed significant gains in measures ofHope, Agency, andSelf-Clarity, likely attributed to the Program's intentional and inclusive pedagogical practices. Results from a pre-and post-program assessment instrument, the Hope Action Inventory, indicated that participation in the Green Teams Program impacted individuals' hope for the future and their ability to implement this hope into tangible steps toward their career development. The findings will inform and enhance existing and future STEM-focused experiential learning programs so that students from all backgrounds are well-supported to address the global challenges that impact their generations most. 

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3. Math Attitudes and Identity of High Schoolers Impacted through Participating in Informal, Near-peer Mentoring

   https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.3093  

   Wilson, Aaron T; Wang, Xiaohui; Galarza, Mayra Ortiz; Knight, John; Patiño, Eliazar (June 2023, International Journal of Research in Education and Science)

   Research in mentoring has shown that students may at times be more willing and able to absorb information that is delivered to them by their near-peers, rather than by traditional figures of authority, like teachers and professors. In this study, underrepresented minority high school students participated in an informal learning experience that was led by college students who were near-peers to the high schoolers. Students were engaged by participating in interactive MathShows, following a Math Social Media Campaign, and attending a summer Math Internship. Participants in the quantitative component of the study included N = 559 U.S. high schoolers who were from predominantly (99%) Hispanic ethnic backgrounds. The qualitative component of the study involved another 19 students from the same school. The mixed methods study addresses associations between high schoolers’ attitudes toward mathematics and their identity alignment, as well as classes of reasons that students gave for their identity alignment. Interactions with the college near-peers that occurred during the experiential learning intervention are also discussed. Results of this study address the goal of broadening participation of underrepresented student groups in STEM careers. 

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4. Exploring Constructive Learning Environments for Secondary Girls' STEM Learning

   Zhang, S (September 2024, WERA 2024)

   The purpose of the study is to explore and theorize the constructivist learning environment for secondary female students’ STEM learning. The study was built on a funded program featured a tiered-team structure, hands-on experience, and interactive mentorship for engaging female students from Grades 6-11 in a five-week Summer Camp to learn Arduino programming & Robotics Design and integration of these tools to conduct projects in ubiquitous intelligent systems. In conducting this study, we used the case study method to provide a more multifaceted perspective on the camp, and how these perspectives inform an understanding of how the project’s features impacted the students. All 37 female students participated in the survey, and eight participated in the interviews. The findings indicate that students were able to heighten their self-confidence and motivation. The themes of the learning environment were identified: knowledge enhancement, STEAM experience, as well as support and encouragement. The program had significant impacts on students’ identity related to STEM identity, motivation and interest, and self-confidence. It also significantly impacts their sense of belonging, including peers' and mentors' sense of belonging. The study provided research evidence for designing STEM learning projects to enhance female STEM learning. 

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5. Engaging STEM Transformational Experiences for Early Momentum (ESTEEM)

   Yahdi, Mohammed; Bracey, Zoe Buck (November 2019, National Science Foundation -  Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program Principal Investigator (PI) Meeting, November 2019.)

   Need/Motivation (e.g., goals, gaps in knowledge) The ESTEEM implemented a STEM building capacity project through students’ early access to a sustainable and innovative STEM Stepping Stones, called Micro-Internships (MI). The goal is to reap key benefits of a full-length internship and undergraduate research experiences in an abbreviated format, including access, success, degree completion, transfer, and recruiting and retaining more Latinx and underrepresented students into the STEM workforce. The MIs are designed with the goals to provide opportunities for students at a community college and HSI, with authentic STEM research and applied learning experiences (ALE), support for appropriate STEM pathway/career, preparation and confidence to succeed in STEM and engage in summer long REUs, and with improved outcomes. The MI projects are accessible early to more students and build momentum to better overcome critical obstacles to success. The MIs are shorter, flexibly scheduled throughout the year, easily accessible, and participation in multiple MI is encouraged. ESTEEM also establishes a sustainable and collaborative model, working with partners from BSCS Science Education, for MI’s mentor, training, compliance, and building capacity, with shared values and practices to maximize the improvement of student outcomes. New Knowledge (e.g., hypothesis, research questions) Research indicates that REU/internship experiences can be particularly powerful for students from Latinx and underrepresented groups in STEM. However, those experiences are difficult to access for many HSI-community college students (85% of our students hold off-campus jobs), and lack of confidence is a barrier for a majority of our students. The gap between those who can and those who cannot is the “internship access gap.” This project is at a central California Community College (CCC) and HSI, the only affordable post-secondary option in a region serving a historically underrepresented population in STEM, including 75% Hispanic, and 87% have not completed college. MI is designed to reduce inequalities inherent in the internship paradigm by providing access to professional and research skills for those underserved students. The MI has been designed to reduce barriers by offering: shorter duration (25 contact hours); flexible timing (one week to once a week over many weeks); open access/large group; and proximal location (on-campus). MI mentors participate in week-long summer workshops and ongoing monthly community of practice with the goal of co-constructing a shared vision, engaging in conversations about pedagogy and learning, and sustaining the MI program going forward. Approach (e.g., objectives/specific aims, research methodologies, and analysis) Research Question and Methodology: We want to know: How does participation in a micro-internship affect students’ interest and confidence to pursue STEM? We used a mixed-methods design triangulating quantitative Likert-style survey data with interpretive coding of open-responses to reveal themes in students’ motivations, attitudes toward STEM, and confidence. Participants: The study sampled students enrolled either part-time or full-time at the community college. Although each MI was classified within STEM, they were open to any interested student in any major. Demographically, participants self-identified as 70% Hispanic/Latinx, 13% Mixed-Race, and 42 female. Instrument: Student surveys were developed from two previously validated instruments that examine the impact of the MI intervention on student interest in STEM careers and pursuing internships/REUs. Also, the pre- and post (every e months to assess longitudinal outcomes) -surveys included relevant open response prompts. The surveys collected students’ demographics; interest, confidence, and motivation in pursuing a career in STEM; perceived obstacles; and past experiences with internships and MIs. 171 students responded to the pre-survey at the time of submission. Outcomes (e.g., preliminary findings, accomplishments to date) Because we just finished year 1, we lack at this time longitudinal data to reveal if student confidence is maintained over time and whether or not students are more likely to (i) enroll in more internships, (ii) transfer to a four-year university, or (iii) shorten the time it takes for degree attainment. For short term outcomes, students significantly Increased their confidence to continue pursuing opportunities to develop within the STEM pipeline, including full-length internships, completing STEM degrees, and applying for jobs in STEM. For example, using a 2-tailed t-test we compared means before and after the MI experience. 15 out of 16 questions that showed improvement in scores were related to student confidence to pursue STEM or perceived enjoyment of a STEM career. Finding from the free-response questions, showed that the majority of students reported enrolling in the MI to gain knowledge and experience. After the MI, 66% of students reported having gained valuable knowledge and experience, and 35% of students spoke about gaining confidence and/or momentum to pursue STEM as a career. Broader Impacts (e.g., the participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM; development of a diverse STEM workforce, enhanced infrastructure for research and education) The ESTEEM project has the potential for a transformational impact on STEM undergraduate education’s access and success for underrepresented and Latinx community college students, as well as for STEM capacity building at Hartnell College, a CCC and HSI, for students, faculty, professionals, and processes that foster research in STEM and education. Through sharing and transfer abilities of the ESTEEM model to similar institutions, the project has the potential to change the way students are served at an early and critical stage of their higher education experience at CCC, where one in every five community college student in the nation attends a CCC, over 67% of CCC students identify themselves with ethnic backgrounds that are not White, and 40 to 50% of University of California and California State University graduates in STEM started at a CCC, thus making it a key leverage point for recruiting and retaining a more diverse STEM workforce. 

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