Vision: Our vision is to cultivate rising leaders from diverse backgrounds and experiences to foster positive change and promote human and environmental health in their communities.
Mission: The Health and Environment Scholars Program (HESP) aims to increase diversity in STEM majors and careers through year-round programming for high school students whose identities have been historically and systematically excluded from STEM fields. We do this through hands-on programming with local institutions and researchers, small-group mentorship with undergraduate students, and preparation for the college application process. In doing so, HESP equips students with necessary skills, knowledge, experiences, mentoring, and career development to make them competitive in the college application process and leaders in STEM fields.
Background
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continue to expand as the US works to stay competitive in the global economy.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment projections show that occupations in STEM fields will grow 8% by 2029; this is greater than two times faster than the total for all other occupations.
Due to the increase in STEM career opportunities, it is important that students of all socioeconomic backgrounds are introduced to these topics in the early stages of their education so that we can build a strong and diverse US workforce.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of representation of minority students within STEM fields.
According to the National Science Foundation, 89% of the STEM workforce is made up of white men and women During the college admissions process, black and Hispanic students exhibit similar preferences of studying STEM-related topics as white students, yet the probability that they pursue a degree in the STEM field is lower.
There is a need to prioritize encouraging, assisting, and inspiring students of all backgrounds to explore STEM careers to bridge the gaps created by historical systemic problems.
