Determinants of Black families’ access to a community-based STEM program: A latent class analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to uncover determinants of Black families’ access to STEM enrichment, specifically focusing on I AM STEM—a community-based program. Our research examined the association between class membership and how families learned about I AM STEM, to provide a more nuanced understanding about how family dynamics influence Black parents’ access to educational enrichment programs for their children. This study draws from Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory (EST) and Coleman's (1988) definition of social capital to explore the ways in which Black families across socioeconomic backgrounds access and use the community-based STEM program. A latent class analysis was employed to identify determinants based on specific predictors (e.g., parents’ highest level of education, free/reduced lunch status, and grade level of registered children). The latent class model extracted three distinct classes. Our findings revealed that all parents were likely to enroll their elementary-aged children, but the likelihood of enrolling middle or high school children increased with parents who were college educated. This study also uncovered that regardless of income or neighborhood lines, Black parents of all social classes, and family dynamics learned about the program through information sharing. Furthermore, the program's location increased access to informal STEM learning opportunities for parents who experienced poverty, while the program's curriculum attracted middle-class Black families who were not residents of that particular community. Collectively, I AM STEM promoted educational and economic inclusion, which broadened participation in STEM programming.