A Successful Blueprint for Attracting Blacks to Science Fields

A study by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) finds that the National Science Foundation’s Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) program has been a tremendous success in increasing enrollments of minority students in computer science. The program, funded by an NSF grant, involves 11 alliances between research universities, historically black colleges and universities, and public school systems. One alliance, called Advancing Robotics Technology for Societal Impact, joins 13 black colleges with 10 large research universities. Students at the black colleges participate in research projects at the large universities.

The AAAS report notes that enrollments in computer science programs at the college level are down but, due to the BPC alliances, enrollments of minority students in computer science programs are increasing. The report recommends that similar alliance programs be used to attract black and other minority students to all scientific disciplines.

Readers interested in downloading the entire AAAS report can do so by clicking here.

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