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Projects with Promise

Vol. 30 No. 3 (2026): Fall 2026

Building Capacity for STEM Outreach: Development and Implementation of a University Graduate Certificate in Community-Engaged STEM

  • Loretta M. Flanagan-Cato
  • Erin Purvis Conway
Submitted
February 4, 2025
Published
2026-10-12

Abstract

Community-engaged scholarship can improve the impacts of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields on health care, access to technology, and environmental welfare. Nevertheless, few graduate programs in STEM fields provide training that connects research with engagement with the public. This article describes the development of a graduate certificate in community-engaged STEM. The program includes a graduate service-learning course that partners with an underfunded public high school to offer grade-appropriate lab activities. In addition, students are required to participate in a seminar series, spend significant time working with a community partner, and develop an independent community-based project. The certificate requirements allow trainees to align their community-engaged work with their scientific research projects. These mentored experiences in community-engaged scholarship for graduate students are designed to have multiplicative effects to support local communities, improve campus culture, enhance diversity in STEM fields, and yield more impactful research enterprises.