Gonzalez, J. (2025, April), Breaking Barriers in STEM Education to Empower Underrepresented, First Generation, and Marginalized Students with Innovative Self-Assessment Approaches  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE PSW Conference, California Polytechnic University, California. 10.18260/1-2--55165

\bibitem{asee_peer_55165}
  Gonzalez, J. (2025, April), \emph{Breaking Barriers in STEM Education to Empower Underrepresented, First Generation, and Marginalized Students with Innovative Self-Assessment Approaches}
  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE PSW Conference, California Polytechnic University, California.
  10.18260/1-2--55165

Jessica Gonzalez.  "Breaking Barriers in STEM Education to Empower Underrepresented, First Generation, and Marginalized Students with Innovative Self-Assessment Approaches".  2025 ASEE PSW Conference, California Polytechnic University, California, 2025, April.  ASEE Conferences, 2025.  https://peer.asee.org/55165 Internet.  18 Jul, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_55165}
  Jessica Gonzalez.
  "Breaking Barriers in STEM Education to Empower Underrepresented, First Generation, and Marginalized Students with Innovative Self-Assessment Approaches".
  \emph{2025 ASEE PSW Conference, California Polytechnic University, California, 2025, April}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2025.
  https://peer.asee.org/55165 Internet.  18 Jul, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_55165
author = "Jessica Gonzalez"
title = "Breaking Barriers in STEM Education to Empower Underrepresented, First Generation, and Marginalized Students with Innovative Self-Assessment Approaches"
booktitle = "2025 ASEE PSW Conference"
year = "2025"
month = "April"
address = "California Polytechnic University, California"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/55165}
number = {10.18260/1-2--55165}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The purpose of this research is to break down systematic barriers to empower underrepresented, first generation, and marginalized students by establishing an equitable, diverse, and inclusive space in the STEM education. Underrepresented, first generation, and marginalized students are often less represented in STEM education due to systematic racism, sexism, and other discriminatory forms. Therefore, the goal of this research is to transform and create a safe learning and educational experience for all students regardless of their culture and background as well as building student-centered communities and professional development opportunities by developing a structure for effective community engagement and mentoring partnership with all stakeholders to empower underrepresented, first generation, and marginalized students in STEM education.
To increase the participation of underrepresented, first generation, and marginalized students in STEM education, the educational environment must become more inclusive. The educational environment must systematically break down the barriers constraining participation and effectiveness of underrepresented, first generation, and marginalized students in STEM education. It is extremely important to improve their prevailing structures, policies, and practices as well as create major transformation in STEM education climates.
STEM education needs to be prepared to increase diversity with students from various backgrounds, such as race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic, and immigration statuses. The curricular materials need to be equitable and inclusive to broaden STEM participation and effectiveness. To break the barriers in STEM education to empower underrepresented, first generation, and marginalized students, the proposed innovative self-assessment approaches includes the following: (1) Observe departmental demographics and conduct self-assessment; (2) Developing goals and strategies related to equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racist, and social justice; (3) Propose equity, diversity, and inclusive programs to break the barriers for STEM education in the Department of Civil Engineering at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) as well as all STEM educations.
The proposed innovative self-assessment approaches are dedicated to upholding an equitable, diverse, and inclusive space for underrepresented, first generation, and marginalized students. The demographics considered include race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic, and immigration statuses. The most recent years of student demographics are observed to determine where the gaps exist and establish goals to help improve those areas. Additionally, we will seek suggestions and recommendations from students by self-assessments approaches which will include the areas of outreach, curriculum, teaching, research, mentoring, graduation, advancement, and departmental climate. As a result of these efforts, we aim for STEM education to be more diverse by introducing equitable and inclusive programs and policies.
The proposed research will embrace comprehensive transformation for improved underrepresented, first generation, and marginalized students in STEM education. The proposed innovative approaches describe the facilitating factors, assessment methodologies, program enhancements, and outcomes of the transformation, and will also suggest transformation solutions that all STEM educations can use to create an diverse, inclusive, and effective STEM educational environment for diverse student populations.
This research will propose sustainable assessment approaches and transformation strategies for meaningful reflection with respect to diversity and inclusion, and aim to empower underrepresented, first generation, and marginalized students in STEM education as a means to establishing positive learning climates and broadening their successful participations in STEM fields.

AU  - Jessica Gonzalez
CY  - California Polytechnic University, California
DA  - 2025/04/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Breaking Barriers in STEM Education to Empower Underrepresented, First Generation, and Marginalized Students with Innovative Self-Assessment Approaches
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55165
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--55165
ER  -