A three-tiered mentorship approach for supporting high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers
Racially and ethnically minoritized individuals, first-generation college students, and women are significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. This lack of equal representation limits creativity and progress in these fields and perpetuates syste...
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Translational Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125000196/type/journal_article |
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| author | Brittney D. Browning Janiece S. Glover Lindsay R. Meredith Anna E. Kirkland Kathryn S. Gex Rachel L. Tomko Felicity Duong Lindsay M. Squeglia |
| author_facet | Brittney D. Browning Janiece S. Glover Lindsay R. Meredith Anna E. Kirkland Kathryn S. Gex Rachel L. Tomko Felicity Duong Lindsay M. Squeglia |
| author_sort | Brittney D. Browning |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Racially and ethnically minoritized individuals, first-generation college students, and women are significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. This lack of equal representation limits creativity and progress in these fields and perpetuates systemic barriers that discourage students from pursuing STEM pathways. This special communication introduces the three-tiered mentorship model employed in the Teen Science Ambassador Program (TSAP), which incorporates senior mentors, near-peer mentors, and high school ambassadors (i.e., mentees) to promote education, hands-on research, and career development in STEM for underrepresented students. We discuss the benefits and challenges of the three-tiered model and offer recommendations for optimizing its effectiveness to enhance mentorship experiences for all participants. Findings from the TSAP program suggest that the three-tiered approach benefited all participants: high school ambassadors gained STEM skills and confidence, near-peer mentors developed leadership and communication abilities, and senior mentors improved mentorship skills. However, the effectiveness of near-peer mentorship is highly dependent on clearly defined roles and structured involvement. Thus, feedback collected from each mentorship tier was used to inform subsequent iterations of the program. The layered mentorship structure fostered a sense of community and belonging, which is crucial for retaining individuals from underrepresented groups in STEM. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5cce01d6a8f74801880bb4f5a206b281 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2059-8661 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical and Translational Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-5cce01d6a8f74801880bb4f5a206b2812025-08-20T01:48:29ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Clinical and Translational Science2059-86612025-01-01910.1017/cts.2025.19A three-tiered mentorship approach for supporting high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careersBrittney D. Browning0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9868-0440Janiece S. Glover1Lindsay R. Meredith2Anna E. Kirkland3Kathryn S. Gex4Rachel L. Tomko5Felicity Duong6Lindsay M. Squeglia7Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USADepartment of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USAThe Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, AustraliaDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USARacially and ethnically minoritized individuals, first-generation college students, and women are significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. This lack of equal representation limits creativity and progress in these fields and perpetuates systemic barriers that discourage students from pursuing STEM pathways. This special communication introduces the three-tiered mentorship model employed in the Teen Science Ambassador Program (TSAP), which incorporates senior mentors, near-peer mentors, and high school ambassadors (i.e., mentees) to promote education, hands-on research, and career development in STEM for underrepresented students. We discuss the benefits and challenges of the three-tiered model and offer recommendations for optimizing its effectiveness to enhance mentorship experiences for all participants. Findings from the TSAP program suggest that the three-tiered approach benefited all participants: high school ambassadors gained STEM skills and confidence, near-peer mentors developed leadership and communication abilities, and senior mentors improved mentorship skills. However, the effectiveness of near-peer mentorship is highly dependent on clearly defined roles and structured involvement. Thus, feedback collected from each mentorship tier was used to inform subsequent iterations of the program. The layered mentorship structure fostered a sense of community and belonging, which is crucial for retaining individuals from underrepresented groups in STEM.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125000196/type/journal_articleMentoringstemhigh schoolnear-peeryouthadolescentdiversityunderrepresented minorities |
| spellingShingle | Brittney D. Browning Janiece S. Glover Lindsay R. Meredith Anna E. Kirkland Kathryn S. Gex Rachel L. Tomko Felicity Duong Lindsay M. Squeglia A three-tiered mentorship approach for supporting high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers Journal of Clinical and Translational Science Mentoring stem high school near-peer youth adolescent diversity underrepresented minorities |
| title | A three-tiered mentorship approach for supporting high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers |
| title_full | A three-tiered mentorship approach for supporting high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers |
| title_fullStr | A three-tiered mentorship approach for supporting high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers |
| title_full_unstemmed | A three-tiered mentorship approach for supporting high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers |
| title_short | A three-tiered mentorship approach for supporting high school students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers |
| title_sort | three tiered mentorship approach for supporting high school students interested in science technology engineering and mathematics stem careers |
| topic | Mentoring stem high school near-peer youth adolescent diversity underrepresented minorities |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125000196/type/journal_article |
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