UMB CURE Connections: an integral link in a Baltimore minority STEMeducation pipeline

项目摘要/摘要。 来自代表不足(UR)背景的人构成了美国增长最快的部分 人口，但只占生物医学研究和医疗保健劳动力的一小部分。 劳动力多样化对于利用这一未得到充分利用的资源和满足美国日益增长的需求至关重要 生物医学科学和更广泛的STEM领域。多样化的员工队伍提供的不同视角激发了人们的兴趣 创新和提高研究质量、生产率和考虑差距问题。努力实现 以可持续的方式增加多样性的这些好处必须从STEM早期教育开始。至 提供这种早期STEM干预，马里兰大学巴尔的摩分校继续研究保护伞 经验(UMB CURE)学者计划是为了为UR提供STEM教育丰富 来自巴尔的摩西部严重贫困社区的中学生。要解决这个问题 对于这些学生面临的成功的多因素障碍，我们采取了一种整体的方法，利用 UMB专业学校和合作伙伴的强大资源，以整合强大的学者指导，家庭 支持、伙伴学校课程和社区外联。来自前两组学者的数据 展示了该计划对所有利益攸关方的积极影响，并表明早期STEM干预是 一种有效的方法来吸引来自弱势背景的学生，加强这样的需求 巴尔的摩西部的节目。建立在MS项目成功的基础上，并实现这一潜力 早期干预，至关重要的是要通过高等教育培养学者对科学的持续参与 学校(HS)过渡和升入大学。事实上，课外结构尤其重要。 在HS过渡年-对来自UR的学生来说，这可能是学术和社会挑战的年份 弱势群体。然而，维持这种全面教育支持的计划在 UMB治愈集水区。为了填补这一空白，UMB CURE Connections(C2)将提供强大的第9和第10 年级规划是连接UMB的少数族裔STEM教育渠道的组成部分 通过强大的HS STEM丰富和专注于少数族裔的大学项目网络治愈MS学者 UMB及其伙伴机构通过三个具体目标：1.提供以STEM为中心的强化课程 围绕与文化相关的主题，包括动手研究、大学和职业道路探索， 社区外展和会议演示。2.利用渠道中的近距离同行和专业导师 合作伙伴，以激发学者对科学主题的兴趣，并激励他们在这些领域追求事业。3. 评估结果以评估计划组成部分在实现其目标方面的有效性，开发最佳 实践并传播这些信息。C2及其STEM教育渠道合作伙伴共同提供了 UR学生进入大学和STEM职业生涯的途径将增加生物医学劳动力的多样性。

Project Summary/Abstract. Individuals from underrepresented (UR) backgrounds comprise the fastest growing segments of the US population but make up only a small percentage of the biomedical research and healthcare workforce. Workforce diversification is essential to engage this underutilized resource and meet growing US demands in biomedical science and broader STEM fields. Distinct perspectives provided by a diverse workforce stimulate innovation and increase research quality, productivity and consideration of disparities issues. Efforts to realize these benefits of increased diversity in a sustainable manner must begin with early STEM education. To provide this early STEM intervention, the University of Maryland Baltimore Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (UMB CURE) Scholars program was developed to provide STEM educational enrichment for UR middle school (MS) students from severely disadvantaged West Baltimore communities. To address the multifactorial barriers to success faced by these students, a holistic approach was taken that leveraged the strong resources of UMB professional schools and partners to integrate robust scholar mentoring, family support, partner school curricula and community outreach. Data from the first two cohorts of scholars demonstrated the program’s positive impact on all stakeholders and indicated that early STEM intervention is an effective approach to engage students from disadvantaged backgrounds, reinforcing the need for such programming in West Baltimore. To build upon the success of the MS program and realize the potential of this early intervention, it is essential to foster the scholars’ continued engagement in science through the high school (HS) transition and progression to college. Indeed, extracurricular structure is particularly important during the HS transition years- years that can be academically and socially challenging for UR students from disadvantaged communities. However, programs to sustain this holistic educational support are lacking in the UMB CURE catchment area. To fill this gap, UMB CURE Connections (C2) will provide robust 9th and 10th grade programming as an integral component of a minority STEM education pipeline that connects UMB CURE MS scholars with strong HS STEM enrichment and a network of minority-focused college programs at UMB and its partner institutions through three specific aims: 1. Provide STEM enrichment curricula centered around culturally relevant themes that incorporate hands-on research, college and career path exploration, community outreach and conference presentations. 2. Utilize near peer and professional mentors from pipeline partners to excite scholars about science subjects and inspire them to pursue careers in these fields. 3. Evaluate outcomes to assess the effectiveness of program components in achieving its goals, develop best practices and disseminate this information. Together, C2 and its STEM education pipeline partners provide a path to college and STEM careers for UR students that will increase diversity in the biomedical workforce.