The following tenets undergird the WISE RP’s curricular and co-curricular initiatives: Identity in a STEM Context, Critical Leadership, & STEM Efficacy.
Exploring Identity in STEM Context
In order to be successful in anything--college, a career, life in general--one must have a clear understanding of self; Through curricular and co-curricular engagement, students will learn how to critically examine their social location (i.e., the groups people belong to because of their position in history and society; often characterized by gender, race, social class, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation, and geographic location--the intersections of social identity, context, and power), personal values, and lived experiences and begin to explore how these nuances inform and shape their experiences as gender-minoritized individuals in STEM.
Cultivating Critical Leadership
With identities and contexts centered, students will interrogate their perceptions and understanding of leadership. Students will cultivate their leadership skill sets and capacities and discover what lenses and abilities are important for leadership and how to practice leadership in a variety of disciplines, contexts, and settings.
Building STEM Efficacy
Focuses on cultivating students' belief in their abilities and capacity to engage in STEM (i.e., STEM self-efficacy). Students will develop an internal appreciation and self-conviction in their own influence, power, agency, and capacity for STEM.
