Environmental Leadership Pathway—University of California, Berkeley “Education, Research, and Support”

Lynn Huntsinger*, Chris Lever*, Bernadette Chi** and Valeria Romero** *University of California, Berkeley, **Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley

PROGRAM COMPONENT

GOALS

Weekend Retreat (Pre-spring semester)

Introduce fellows to each other and to program staff. Build cohort.

Research Methods Course at UC Berkeley (Spring Semester)

-Focus on nutrition

Introduce participants to methods of scientific inquiry, empirical thinking, and communicating science that are used in scientific investigations in STEM disciplines. Prepare lab report, scientific poster, and group presentation Prepare for summer internships. Bring fellows onto the UC Berkeley campus.

Summer Internship at UC Berkeley Laboratory (Summer)

Learn by doing. Engage ELP participants as research assistants in Berkeley labs.

Prepare scientific poster and presentation to communicate research findings Participate in weekly seminars and lectures, and become familiar with campus resources for transfers and underrepresented students

Pedagogy Course at UC Berkeley (Fall semester)

Reflect on personal learning styles to become better students and science communicators. Develop and implement lesson plans on STEM topics in local K-5 schools. Develop the skills to serve as ambassadors/mentors to under- represented minority students from local K-5 schools.

Transfer Assistance (Fall semester)

Benefit from weekly seminars with guest speakers that prepare ELP Fellows to navigate the application process and successfully transfer to 4-year institutions such as UCB. Learn about applications, transcript verification, personal statements and post-transfer resources.

The Environmental Leadership Pathway (ELP) program mentored students from 2006 – 2012. This one-year comprehensive academic enrichment program targeted low income, first in the family, and/or underrepresented minority community college students intending to transfer to competitive four year universities in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) majors. It was a two-year/four-year partnership with Contra Costa Community College.

Evaluation, participant feedback, and experience have led to significant changes in the ELP program over its 6-year run. This poster highlights program strategies and elements that we feel were critical to our success in assisting low-income, underrepresented, and first-to-college community college students on their path to STEM degrees. We rely on learning communities, cohort building, training in research methods and communicating science, internships, mentorship, transfer application workshops, and paying reasonable stipends to students for their support. !

PROGRAM OVERVIEW! PROGRAM SUCCESSES!

ELP Student Enrollment, Program Completion, Transfers, and Graduations from 2006 to 2012

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

% STEM, ALL % NON-URM STEM % URM STEM

Percent of URM, non-URM, and all students graduating in STEM degrees at Berkeley, 2006 to 2011: small numbers can make a big difference.

The students below transferred to the University of California Berkeley

The program successfully reached diverse populations.

Students that began ELP program

Students that completed ELP

Program (N-131) (N-112)

Low income students 117 89% 100 89%

First in the family to go to college 92 70% 78 70% First generation to go to college 110 84% 94 84% Under-represented minority students 60 46% 48 43%

U.C. San Diego University of California, Merced Cal State University, East Bay University of San

Diego Sonoma State

University San Jose State University Hawaii Pacific University

University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Santa Cruz

The students above transferred to the University of California, Davis

Build a cohort providing an opportunity for students to become a cohort early through a short residential program: “I learned a lot from so many people through ELP but I learned the most from my peers. Without the retreat, I don't think we would have become as close as we did.”

Promote approaching their challenges with the support of the group: “Usually, like, when you’re in school, you don’t talk to people much because you’re so consumed with getting good grades and stuff, right. It was cool to have a little family of people who were all in the same boat as me.” Keep cohorts small, about 25 allows numerous close interactions among students and is the maximum that can be effectively mentored by an individual staff member: “I felt really shy going into it, so all the circle name games and stuff kind of got weird for me, but afterward, I realized how important it was, because I developed a lot of relationships with those people and I’m really happy.”

Recognize student successes – Summer Research Poster Symposium, Graduation: “It was very exciting to lead a serious discussion on research I participated in with faculty and friends, ...I believe one day I will look back on my participation in the Summer Research Symposium as one of the crucial steps towards carving out a place for myself in the area of scientific study I am interested in.”

Pay reasonable stipends that allow the students freedom to concentrate on the program and internship: “The monthly stipend was very helpful as a financial support. It allowed me to work less hours and concentrate most of my time on academic work.” Provide research methods training prior to internships – provides basic knowledge in research and builds confidence of students, also helps faculty take a chance on unknown students entering their labs: “[ELP] makes me feel confident in science...the class that I took in Spring made me feel confident about research. The summer internship made me feel confident working in a laboratory...In the Fall, teaching those kids helped me in the sense that how to ask questions and answer questions correctly on my own in the science field...I feel, in science in general, ... I feel pretty confident.”

Provide internships – according to students the most important part of the program: “[My Principal Investigator] wanted to expose me to things, and I really appreciated that...she was very positive, she believed in me, she always told me nothing but good things, that I was going to be successful, and that’s very important...when you’re entering this type of environment, you’re already very intimidated, because everybody there is obviously very intelligent, and they’re very accomplished people, and you wonder ‘why am I even in the same room as these people?’”

Mentor throughout with lots of face to face interaction between staff, faculty mentors and students: “[ELP] gave me a lot of connections to a lot of people and I think that’s really important too because it was not only like I got research experience but I got to know people that would help me in the future for graduate school. It’s kind of helping me get another internship this summer because the PI agreed to write me a letter of recommendation and I might also get published.”

Provide transfer workshops to demystify the process, and equip students with the agency to confidently navigate the admissions application: “The transfer workshops were really helpful for me because... I was able to talk to a [Transfer Advisor] and she looked over my personal statement. [Program staff] looked at my personal statement. Students from ELP looked at my statement….I have some social networks already that I can go to if I end up going here...We can...figure it out together.”

- Graduated from 4-year institution

San Francisco State University