Ensuring a Sustainable STEM Sector in the U.S.: The Role of Culturally Responsive Mentoring in Undergraduate Education

Abstract

Creating a sustainable pipeline for the STEM workforce in the U.S. necessitates a significant improvement in the graduation rates of students of color enrolled in STEM majors. This is particularly important given the major demographic shifts projected over the next four decades, where students of color will constitute the majority of the student population. One way to increase graduation rates is to improve the mentoring of these students by implementing Culturally Responsive Mentor Training. Rooted in the Entering Mentoring curriculum, this approach has been shown to enhance mentoring competencies and shape mentoring behaviors of researchers across various disciplines and career stages. However, existing research has predominantly focused on mentor training programs within individual institutions, leaving a significant knowledge gap regarding the potential benefits of inter-institutional mentor training initiatives that share a common objective of supporting underrepresented students in STEM fields. Between 2019 and 2022, a structured mentoring program engaged 45 mentors from the Georgia–Alabama Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (GA-AL LSAMP). Noteworthy outcomes emerged from this initiative, with participants reporting substantial improvements in their mentoring skills post-training. A majority of participants implemented changes in their mentoring practices following the training program. The self-reported findings from mentors were corroborated by data collected from mentee surveys, which validated shifts in the mentors’ behaviors subsequent to the training. These results hold implications for LSAMP alliances nationwide and for all colleges and universities that aspire to create a sustainable pipeline for the STEM workforce in the U.S.