Building Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Through Educational Interventions: A Case of Experiential Learning and STEM Career Preparation in the Six-week Summer Institute for Sustainability & Climate Change at Purdue University

Within STEM fields, diversity, inclusion, and equity have been an ongoing challenge. Building a STEM pipeline through a multidisciplinary, international team of faculty and students, where an intervention was designed to educate, train, and prepare minority and disenfranchised groups for careers in STEM research through a six-week Summer Institute for Sustainability and Climate Change. This institute included a total of 62 fellows that included high school, undergraduate and graduate students. The design and successful execution of the institute were based on, 1) integration of social sciences with STEM field to look at climate change and diversity, 2) creating network and new collaborations amongst fellows and professors – a model of trust building, 3) creating experiential learning projects based on teams and vertical integrated mentoring, 4) encouraging research projects that lead to innovation and 5) creating opportunities and an adaptable environment for the minority and disenfranchised groups to adjust with the pace and rhythm of the institute.