Evaluation as a Catalyst: Uplifting Hispanic and Low-Income Students’ Perspectives to Enhance STEM Engagement and Retention

Abstract Information: In the pursuit of equity and inclusion in higher education, amplifying the voices of underrepresented students and integrating their perspectives into decision-making processes can kickstart changes to a program to benefit future participants. In this Ignite talk, evaluators will describe an evaluation of a grant that empowers the voices from the historically underrepresented youth to improve the programs designed to support their success. The five-year grant, currently in its third year, aims to increase engagement and retention among Hispanic and low-income students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields at Hispanic-serving institutions in California. The talk focuses on the evaluation of two activities on this grant: participation by first-year undergraduates in faculty-led research and support through the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) programs. Recognizing the fundamental importance of involving the diverse perspectives of the students for whom these programs were created, student feedback was collected by evaluators through annual surveys and focus groups. From the Year 1 evaluation, students candidly shared the challenges they faced in accessing research opportunities, prompting program leaders’ immediate improvements to application processes and faculty training. In Year 2, students enthusiastically reported meaningful research placements and a deeper understanding of complex concepts, demonstrating the impact of student input. The second activity, MESA, offers social activities, industry mixers, resume help, workplace tours, and peer mentorship. Students are assigned peer mentors, who are also Hispanic or low-income, have been in MESA, and understand its goals. Through focus groups, students shared how MESA's peer mentorship and industry connections helped them envision themselves as future engineers and computer scientists. Whereas college advisors might ask them to reconsider their major if they performed poorly on an exam, MESA counselors helped them reject that narrative. Seeing MESA graduates who were working engineers also helped students see a future for them in engineering. The evaluators observed that by integrating academic and student support services for Hispanic and low-income students, the grant is improving student engagement on campus, and, an interesting by-product, uplifting the voices of the youth for whom the programs are designed. Students have found access to new communities, new knowledge, and new self-concepts, and the evaluation provided them a channel to show their new learnings. Throughout the evaluation, the MESA program has emerged as a vital support system, countering "imposter syndrome" and fostering a sense of belonging among underrepresented students. This evaluation highlights the significant impact of amplifying student voices, enabling them to shape the programs designed to support their success. Through sustained dialogue and continuous feedback loops, student perspectives can drive meaningful, lasting change in STEM education for underrepresented groups.