In the U.S., although nearly half of people with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in a STEM discipline attended a community college during their undergraduate studies, only 6% (or fewer) studies published each year about STEM research experiences and internships include data from community college or transfer students. Additionally, although there are a large number of undergraduates, post-baccalaureates, graduate students, and faculty who participate in programs hosted at DOE national laboratories each year, these are rarely mentioned in the research literature. To complement their work with internships at Berkeley Lab, members of the WD&E department have published a study about the impacts of the DOE-funded CCI program on community college student participants, between 5 and 12 years after their participation. Developed and led by Dr. Laleh Coté (WD&E STEM Education Program Manager), this study makes a unique contribution to the field, as very few studies collect data beyond 4 years after a student completes a professional development program. The results provide insights into factors that support or hinder community college student confidence, self-efficacy, and expectations of success in STEM, and the authors provide recommendations for mentors. The ways in which STEM professionals, program staff, guest speakers, and other members of the Berkeley Lab community interacted with CCI interns were critical to their professional development and perception that they were capable of completing STEM degrees and entering the STEM workforce.
Read the paper in PLOS One: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0317403
Questions about this study? Email LECote@lbl.gov
Read more about CCI online here: https://science.osti.gov/wdts/cci
