Addressing Racial Disparities in STEM: A Pilot Mentoring Program for Racially Minoritized Out-of-School Time Staff in a Midwestern Urban Community

Out-of-school time (OST) programs serving predominantly racialized minority communities can help reduce racial disparities in STEM as they provide a culturally affirming learning environment that includes supportive staff of similar ethnic identities as the youth. However, staff at OST programs located in underserved communities that serve racially minoritized youth, often have limited academic credentials and have constrained opportunities for social mobility. These staff's contributions to informal science learning have largely been neglected by research. A staff mentoring program was piloted to provide professional development in STEM education for racially minoritized staff also referred to as youth development professionals or specialists, at an OST learning organization located in the Midwestern US, that serves predominantly African American low-income communities. The pilot paired three racially minoritized part-time staff (mentees) with three full-time staff including educators and program leaders (mentors) for year-long mentoring relationships. Qualitative data collection tools were used to examine the impact of the pilot program on participants. Results indicate numerous gains for participants including personal and professional skills. These findings contribute to the broader literature on mentoring and suggest that the mentorship program represents a model for access to STEM educational and professional development for OST staff in racially minoritized underserved communities.