INSIGHTS FROM THE PROGRESS MENTORING PROGRAM: STRATEGIES TO RETAIN UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN IN THE EARTH SCIENCES

The geosciences are one of the least diverse STEM fields; increasing participation requires not just recruitment of people of diverse backgrounds but an inclusive culture that fosters retention. The PROmoting Geoscience Research, Education, and SuccesS (PROGRESS; progress.colostate.edu) program is an NSF-funded program that provides deliberate mentorship and skills development for women and gender minorities in earth and environmental science majors. We serve students in the Colorado/Wyoming Front Range, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, southern California, and DC regions. Through longitudinal tracking, we found that participation in PROGRESS impacts participants’ access to women in a diversity of roles, promotes the development of strong and interconnected mentor networks, and enhances both persistence intentions and a sense of belonging for undergraduate women interested in the earth and environmental sciences. We present aspects of PROGRESS that can be transferred to other programs interested in increasing retention of historically excluded groups in STEM.