{"id":212340,"date":"2024-10-18T10:00:31","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T14:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/csam\/?p=212340"},"modified":"2024-10-17T14:30:34","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T18:30:34","slug":"montclair-state-innovates-inclusion-of-psychoeducational-counseling-supports-for-students-in-stem-internships-and-research-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/csam\/2024\/10\/18\/montclair-state-innovates-inclusion-of-psychoeducational-counseling-supports-for-students-in-stem-internships-and-research-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"Montclair State Innovates Inclusion of Psychoeducational Counseling Supports for Students in STEM Internships and Research Experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a continued leader in the success and social mobility of students, ÌÇÐÄvlog was recently awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Institutional Transformation Project to study \u201cThe Effectiveness of Psychoeducational Counseling in STEM Internship and Research Experiences.\u201d This five-year $3,000,000 project, led by Nina Goodey<\/a>, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, aims to increase participation in high quality STEM experiential learning opportunities across Montclair State; embed professional psychoeducational group counseling into internships and research experiences to create more productive experiential learning opportunities with excellent socio-emotional support; and to generate knowledge on the impacts of this counseling intervention on students, faculty mentors, and program coordinators at an HSI.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0 ambitious project is led by a transdisciplinary team that includes co-PIs Amy Tuininga<\/a>, Professor of Earth and Environmental Studies, Michael Hannon, Associate Professor of Counseling, and Lora Billings<\/a>, Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics (CSAM). The project was inspired and piloted by the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies (PSEG ISS) Green Teams summer internship program, managed by Tuininga as Director and Goodey as Associate Director. While it was generally accepted that students benefit from internship experiences, Tuininga and Goodey were keenly aware of how internships often lacked the elements required for students with a breadth of identities and life experiences to feel a sense of belonging, particularly in STEM fields.<\/p>\n

Mature scientists know that STEM projects often involve setbacks and that embracing these challenges leads to resilience and unexpected scientific breakthroughs. Facing these challenges can exacerbate negative mental states for inexperienced researchers who lack adequate support in adjusting to their STEM identities.<\/p>\n