We plan to use the facility as a base camp (eat, sleep, conduct group bonding exercises) and take day trip to local geological sites. In sum, our peer-mentoring program provides psychosocial and academic student support to positively impact academic achievement and retention in STEM, particularly for underrepresented students. We plan to study effects on students’ sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and practice-linked identities to determine best practices and expand our program to the college-level via external funding. One of the crucial parts of the plan involves a 2-day ice breaker trip to Zzyzx Desert Studies Center prior to the start of the Spring semester -- having an extensive block of time together will expedite group bonding.

Approved