How does service learning increase and sustain interest in engineering education for underrepresented pre-engineering college students?

Abstract

Many barriers exist for American Indian students pursuing STEM degree programs. However, federally recognized Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) are uniquely suited to overcome these barriers because of their shared mission to provide 21st Century educational opportunities for American Indian students. Qualitative and quantitative findings suggest that appropriately designed service learning experiences offer an effective approach to overcome these barriers in an effort to recruit and retain a diverse population into STEM fields, and engaging this underrepresented group may hold the key to the United States continued economic prosperity.