Reach Underserved Populations

Reach Underserved Populations

Leveraging Student Strengths in STEM: Tips for ITEST Proposal Writers 

When describing underserved and underrepresented groups in STEM education research there has traditionally been a deficits-based approach, focusing on the challenges that new interventions will help the students overcome. While it is essential that your proposal addresses student challenges, it is equally important to also thoroughly describe the ways in which your work will incorporate strengths-based approaches. The latest research has shown that strengths-based approaches are crucial to student success, and are essential to promoting equity in STEM education.


Promising Approaches to Broadening Youth Participation in STEM 

This paper, based on a review of over 200 publications related to approximately 110 ITEST projects, seeks to respond to the broadening participation question in the ITEST solicitation. While all ITEST projects include “broadening participation” as a central goal, we found that publications relating to 43 projects contained specific information on broadening participation. Of those, publications relating to 25 projects had “broadening participation” as the primary focus. Here, we present the range of strategies that project teams employed by highlighting some of those 25 projects.


STELAR Webinar: Strategies for Increasing Diversity in STEM Learning Environments 

During this webinar we heard from ITEST projects that are developing innovative program models to successfully recruit, retain, and engage youth from underrepresented communities in authentic STEM learning experiences.


ITEST Data Brief: Project Strategies to Engage Underrepresented Populations 

ITEST Data Brief Volume 2, Issue 1, January 2015


ITEST Data Brief: ITEST Participants - Reaching Underserved and Underrepresented Groups 

ITEST Data Brief Volume 1, Issue 3, June 2012