ERIC Number: EJ1453881
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
EISSN: EISSN-1943-4898
Benefits and Challenges of Virtual Early Arrival or Summer Bridge Programs for Underrepresented Minority Students Majoring in STEM
Journal of College Science Teaching, v54 n1 p51-56 2025
Benefits of summer bridge and early arrival experiences include the academic and social integration of incoming first-year students into their chosen institutions. The unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic created opportunities to re-imagine delivery of activities and engagement of incoming first-year students in summer bridge and early arrival experiences. In summer 2020, 100 historically underrepresented racial/ethnic minority incoming first-year students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors participated in The Ohio Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (OH LSAMP) virtual summer bridge or early arrival program at six of its partner institutions. The summer bridge and early arrival program is designed to promote and foster academic integration, social integration, and sense of belonging at and within the institution and LSAMP. We aimed to determine virtual programming effectiveness in meeting program goals at OH LSAMP partner institutions, during the COVID-19 pandemic, using students' perceptions of academic integration, social integration, sense of belonging, and satisfaction. Overall, students were satisfied with program implementation and indicated agreement with academic integration, social integration, and sense of belonging. We discuss the findings and lessons learned in delivering summer bridge or early arrival experiences virtually, during a global pandemic.
Descriptors: Summer Programs, Transitional Programs, STEM Education, Minority Group Students, Disproportionate Representation, College Freshmen, Electronic Learning, Program Effectiveness, Partnerships in Education, COVID-19, Pandemics, Student Attitudes, Colleges, School Desegregation, Social Integration, Sense of Community, Student Satisfaction
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ohio
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1817314