Building STEM pathways for students of color to natural resources careers: the Northern New Mexico Climate Change Corps

A shortage of skilled graduates with science degrees in natural resources fields exists in the USA due to retirement and climate change challenges. A next generation of natural resources scientists is needed and, due to changing demographics, the majority of them will be people of color. Yet, due to a legacy of racial and ethnic exclusion in STEM fields, higher education institutions have failed to prepare students of color to enter natural resources careers. To address this gap, the Northern New Mexico Climate Change Corps (CCC) bridges community college students to a 4-year university to foster STEM degree completion and job placement of students, who are predominantly Hispanic or Native American, in natural resources fields. The CCC provides student supports at the community college which, like many 2-year colleges in the USA, mostly serves students who are low-income, first generation, and/or students of color. Built upon institutional support and external funding, the five pillars comprising the CCC program model are recruitment and retention, experiential learning, academic and career pathways, strategic partnerships, and cultural connections. A 5-year, mixed methods case study identified specific supports within each pillar that students, faculty, partnering employers, and/or university administrators identified as critical to student success: internships, academic advising, mentoring, professional development, academic stipends, research experiences, degree completion plans, math support, peer support, and field trips. Learning accrued through the CCC’s development and implementation can inform other community colleges, universities, and employers to foster the next generation of natural resources scientists.