In Tucson, Arizona, a groundbreaking initiative is reshaping the future of STEM education—and who gets to be part of it. By combining geospatial technology, intergenerational mentorship, and real-world community engagement, a program is building belonging in STEM, helping underrepresented students not only see themselves in STEM fields but step into those roles with confidence.

As the U.S. works to meet its growing demand for STEM professionals, the challenge isn’t just about getting more students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math. It’s about removing the systemic barriers that keep many students, especially those from minority and low-income backgrounds, from staying on that path. Despite decades of investment in equity programs, students of color, particularly Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Pacific Islander youth, remain underrepresented in STEM majors and careers. While interest in STEM is initially high across all demographics, research shows that underrepresented minority (URM) students are less likely to persist through college or earn a STEM degree. This gap isn’t just about academic preparation. It’s about access: to mentorship, to real-world applications, and to a sense of belonging in the STEM community.

This year-long mentorship pilot offers a promising model for how schools, universities, and communities can come together to make STEM education more inclusive, empowering, and equitable.

Mentorship Meets Mapping: Building Belonging in STEM

Led by educators and researchers from the University of Arizona, the program focused on middle and high school students from a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in Tucson. The approach was deeply layered and collaborative. It involved:

  • Multi-generational mentoring: College students mentored high schoolers, who in turn mentored middle schoolers.
  • Community partnerships: Local government officials, STEM professionals, and nonprofit leaders were actively involved throughout the program.
  • Real-world learning: Students used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to investigate and compare local parks, gathering data, analyzing results, and creating interactive digital StoryMaps to share their findings.

Middle school students received foundational training in GIS, learned data collection and visualization skills, and tackled driving questions about equity and access in their neighborhoods. Their projects weren’t hypothetical—they were rooted in their own lived experiences and were shared with city leaders who could take action.

Read the full article about building belonging in STEM through GIS by Mason Pashia at Getting Smart.