Research from the National Center for Education Statistics in 2013 found that, of STEM degrees and certifications earned by males, only 8.7 percent were awarded to Black males. That’s compared to 68.1 percent earned by White males. Clearly there is an equity gap in STEM career pathways. The Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities designed a program to address this gap through strengthening the community college pipeline and fostering collaborations between community colleges and four-year institutions. The program, called the Minority Male STEM Initiative (MMSI), is funded by the Kresge Foundation and was launched in four sites across the country.
This report provides an overview of MMSI and identifies eight strategies for increasing success and persistence for minority males in STEM programs:
- Commitment of academic and student services;
- Strong support from institutional leadership;
- Adoption of culturally relevant programming;
- Providing opportunities for community engagement;
- Creating strong networks with local partners;
- Focusing on matriculation into STEM programs;
- Creating and tracking extracurricular opportunities to engage students; and
- Strengthening opportunities for collaboration between partner institutions.
