U of M Partners With St. Paul Middle School To Promote Diversity In STEM

Women and people of color are historically underrepresented in the sciences, technology, engineering and math, the so-called STEM professions. A University of Minnesota partnership with a St. Paul middle school is aiming to help address that disparity. Two U of M professors and a group of undergraduates are mentoring students at Murray Middle School which is located near the U’s St. Paul campus. The class is titled Stepping Into the Gap: Understanding the Challenges of Supporting Diversity in STEM. It’s part of the University’s Grand Challenges curriculum which is a multidisciplinary approach to introduce students to complex issues that impact the world community. Associate Professor of Psychology Cheryl Olman and Associate Professor of Educational Psychology/Associate Vice Provost for Equity and Diversity Keisha Varma tell us about the class they are co-teaching.