Charting the pathways to STEM for latina/o students: The role of community colleges
✍ Scribed by Lindsey E. Malcom
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2010
- Weight
- 67 KB
- Volume
- 2010
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0271-0579
- DOI
- 10.1002/ir.359
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Three numbers encapsulate the purpose of this chapter: two million, 4.3 percent, and one-half. Two million refers to the number of new professionals needed to enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related (STEM) fields by 2010 just to replace baby boomers retiring from the STEM workforce (IBM Corporation, 2008). The second number, 4.3 percent, represents Latinos' current share of the U.S. STEM workforce (National Science Foundation, 2007). And one-half refers to the current proportion of school-aged youth who are Latina/o (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). Why should we take notice of these numbers? The first indicates the pressing need for more highly trained U.S. scientists, engineers, and technicians, while the second is illustrative of the ongoing underrepresentation of Latinos in high-demand STEM fields. The third number represents an opportunity to enlarge the STEM talent pool and points to a necessary course of action to strengthen the U.S. competitive condition in an increasingly knowledge-based economy.
Latinos represent the nation' s fastest-growing demographic group, and the U.S. Census Bureau (2008) projects them to comprise nearly 30
With the majority of Latinos attending community colleges, it is important to understand ways in which these institutions contribute to the production of Latina/o STEM degree holders. This chapter discusses implications from a study of institutional pathways traversed by Latina/o STEM baccalaureates.