For the Colored Girls Who Have Considered STEM / When the Interventions Are Not Enuf

Using a large-scale national sample of university students, we examine the experiences of Black girls and their out-of-school STEM programs or activities that have been connected in previous research to increased intention to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM), such as identity, support systems, mentorship, or role modeling. Analysis showed mixed encouragement towards a career in STEM compared to a career in Health or Medicine, or other non-STEM careers. Many popular themes and beliefs about effective STEM programs were not associated with increases in Black girls' interests in traditional STEM careers, including mothers' highest level of education and mentors' race/ethnicity, whereas other major themes, such as having female mentors and feeling recognized as a science person, increased the likelihood of Black girls being interested in health and medicine as opposed to STEM. These findings provide insights to guide future out-of-school STEM education program creation for Black girls.