A Mentoring Bridge Model for Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

A recent analysis of the supply of workers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields noted a persistent shortage of STEM workers (New American Economy Research Fund, 2017). Specifically, in 2016, for each unemployed worker there were 13 STEM jobs posted online, which translated into a shortage of approximately three million trained professionals. Students with disabilities have been identified as a possible untapped pool of future scientists (Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering, 2006). Unfortunately, persistence in postsecondary education for students with disabilities is an issue (Sanford et al., 2011). The evaluation results of a comprehensive mentoring program designed to support students with disabilities in postsecondary STEM programs are reported. The mentoring program included elements related to both the academic and social environments of the students. It is part of a larger project designed to increase the number of students with disabilities pursuing and completing postsecondary STEM programs. The results of the study indicated that participants were highly satisfied with their mentoring experiences and perceived the mentoring experience positively.