It is this program's goal to enhance the experiences of underrepresented students in the STEM fields by providing academic support and professional development. The Groups STEM Initiative, formerly the Groups Women in Science Mentoring program, was a collaboration between the Groups Scholars Program and the Women in Science Program Board. The program was initially developed to attract and retain first generation; underrepresented college women in the STEM fields at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) to help them successfully complete their baccalaureate degree in a STEM discipline. As a result of its success, the program was fully implemented in 2011. That year, the number matched mentee and mentor pairs increased by almost half from the previous year; there were 24 students matched with a mentor in the same or similar discipline. In the fall of 2012, the Groups Program STEM Initiative replaced the Groups Women in Science Mentoring Program. The STEM Initiative was created to include a male mentoring component. In addition, nine components were developed to help students complete their baccalaureate degree and prepare for graduate school: faculty and graduate student mentoring, the Foundations of Research learning curriculum to teach new participants about research, a required lab or research experience, a required poster or oral presentation, a new STEM student organization, peer advisors, tutoring, study groups, and increased academic and professional events. The Groups STEM Summer Research Experience Program component began in 2013 with the purpose of training students in scholarly research, enhancing student learning, promoting a culture of research, and fostering collaboration between faculty and students. As part of the program, STEM Scholars engage in five weeks of hands-on research with the guidance of faculty, graduate students, and active researchers. To support their research efforts, STEM Scholars take a Foundations of Research course and workshop to learn about scientific research processes as well as develop practical skills (technical writing, poster presentation, etc). At the end of the program, students present their research in a poster symposium sponsored by the Groups Scholars Program.
