No abstract

Efforts to broaden participation in science and engineering (STEM) are of national importance. This paper describes the development and implementation of teaching strategies for the Wisconsin Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (WiscAMP) Excel program. The program involves: 1) selecting underrepresented minority (URM) students majoring in science and engineering whose first year academic performance indicates they are at risk for leaving STEM; and 2) providing an intensive 8-week immersion experience in STEM scholarship, research, academic and career exploration and advising. Collectively program faculty members have identified a shared programmatic strategy with respect to supporting students' cultivation of a growth mindset [1] , which has been shown to increase student persistence and performance while decreasing their vulnerability to stereotype threat. The program has been piloted 5 times, enrolled a total of 92 participants, 99% of whom are URM students majoring in STEM. Upon completion of the program, participants report increased confidence in their abilities to succeed in their STEM coursework and slightly stronger commitment to their career. Follow-up data indicate 66% of program participants are persisting in their majors or have graduated with a STEM degree. Strategies for cultivating a growth mindset in the classroom are presented and discussed.