Creating a Mentoring-focused Web Community for Women of Color in STEM

MentorNet是一个教育组织，致力于提高STEM学科中代表性不足的少数群体，特别是妇女的地位。 为此，该组织的目标与NSF ADVANCE计划的使命直接一致。 具体而言，MentorNet通过拟议的ADVANCE PAID项目将提供在线和虚拟工具，使有色人种妇女能够扩大现有的专业网络，并参与电子辅导。 拟议的项目还将为STEM学科的这批妇女骨干提供一个电子资源，其中包括当前的新闻、职业机会和讨论论坛。 MentorNet ADVANCE PAID项目将有助于提高对有色人种妇女所经历的独特问题和情况的认识和敏感性。 具体而言，由于该项目将开发的电子平台的性质，在了解社交网络中哪些因素影响有色人种女性的成长和参与以及哪些因素对指导关系产生积极影响方面将取得重大进展。 更广泛的影响。 该组织能够利用其巨大的能力，为全国有色人种妇女提供社交网络和电子辅导。 此外，在其自我维持的能力，该项目也将间接影响未来几代的有色人种妇女在干学科。 为此，MentorNet ADVANCE PAID项目有可能为解决美国和国外有色人种STEM女性代表性不足做出重大贡献。

MentorNet is an educational organization devoted to the advancement of underrepresented minority groups in the STEM disciplines, particularly women. To this end, the organization has goals that are directly in line with the mission of the NSF ADVANCE Program. Specifically, MentorNet, through the proposed ADVANCE PAID project will provide online and virtual tools that will enable women of color to expand exiting professional networks and engage in electronic mentoring. The proposed project will also provide an electronic resource of current news, career opportunities and discussion forums for this cadre of women in the academic STEM disciplines.Intellectual Merit. The MentorNet ADVANCE PAID project will serve to raise awareness of and sensitivity to the unique issues and circumstances that are experienced by women of color. Specifically, because of the nature of the electronic platform that will be developed by this project, significant progress will be made in understanding what factors in social networking influence the growth and engagement of women of color as well as what factors produce positive outcomes for mentoring relationships. Broader Impact. This organization is able to leverage its vast capacity to provide access to social networking and electronic mentoring to women of color across the nation. Additionally, in its capacity to sustain itself, this project will also indirectly affect future generations of women of color in the STEM disciplines. To that end, the MentorNet ADVANCE PAID project has the potential to contribute significantly to addressing the underrepresentation of STEM women of color in the US and abroad.