Research to Practice: Keeping STEM student recruitment fresh and relevant using peer mentoring

Abstract

This work in progress paper in the research-to-practice category focuses on high school students planning to enter a new learning environment for transition. Prospective students benefit from structured programming that considers two factors. First, the college knowledge required to navigate day-to-day logistics including new living arrangements, supporting physical & mental health, and funding the experience. Second, STEM curricula and challenges students from extremely rural communities face in identifying with these rigorous programs. The work of influential researchers in student transition and retention along with contextual findings from a large, rural state in the Rocky Mountain region informed the redesign of an engineering college’s outreach program. This paper has two purposes. First, it details how established theories combined with research findings and assessment can create robust models to support keeping recruitment programs relevant. Second, it provides an example of how a model was developed and then used to redesign and assess an outreach program using college peer mentors to support high school-aged students interested in engineering and computing disciplines.