Conference PaperEmbedding Career Exploration and Preparation Within Academic Programming to Enhance Retention in STEM [Poster presentation]Mellmann, L.; Bedward J.; Dinkel, B.Through an NSF S-STEM grant and institutional support, the STEM CAREERS (Career and Research Exploration to Enhance Retention in STEM) Program was created in 2018. This program provided scholarships and programming for high achieving lower-income students from rural and diverse backgrounds for N = 33 students over four years. A summer bridge, common first-year experience course, and interim trip on career exploration created a learning community for the cohort in their first year. Career exploration and networking opportunities introduced students to unimagined careers. Career preparation experiences were built into the remaining 3 years of the program as well as multi-layered mentoring. Mixed methods data collection included pre-post STEM career surveys, annual focus groups, and personal reflections. Some preliminary results include enhanced sense of belonging and strong support network, high placement into prestigious summer research programs and internships, and early admittance into dental school and graduate school.2022-01-0110429473AAC&U Transforming STEM Higher Education: Back to Broken?https://doi.org/1643543National Science Foundation