2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Through a National Science Foundation grant (NSF BPE Track 4 Phase 1), the Colorado School of Mines launched a pilot program called BASE Camp as a creative approach to providing training to natural peer leaders within a university. The objective of this study and the associated program is to use a peer leader and mentorship model to create a stronger appreciation for the contributions underrepresented students make in STEM fields, focusing on engineering. This will create a stronger community of belonging for those who are currently socially and culturally excluded from the field.

The three overarching research questions to gauge success of the program center on 1) education, 2) comprehension and implementation, and 3) a resulting increase in a sense of belonging on campus. The pilot program includes preliminary training and follow-up assessments. Assessment of program results are being conducted through multiple measures. These include 1) pre and post surveys corresponding to training topics, 2) a broader belonging survey conducted at multiple points throughout the program, 3) university wide climate surveys conducted prior to the program start 4) journal prompts appropriate for each level and 5) focus groups to gain feedback on what needs to be adjusted.

Preliminary findings suggest that student leaders who have undergone the first module of training are entering with less inter-personal communication knowledge than their faculty mentors hoped. They know broad themes but do not feel confident in their deeper knowledge on any particular topic and have a desire to better understand what actions can be taken on their part to create a more welcoming academic environment for their peers. This finding promises a wealth of space to grow the BASE Camp program within not only the home university but also partnering small STEM institutions across the United States.