Measuring the effect of sustainability programs on interest in STEM disciplines: a pre-post survey study of the student green team internship program

While Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are growing, there are persistent issues in sustaining interest and engagement. Internship programs and partnerships are increasingly being deployed to combat these issues by providing students relevant experience. However, there are considerable data gaps in understanding how effective these programs are, and what factors contribute to greater engagement. To this end, this study utilizes a pre-post survey method (n = 50) to understand how the Green Teams internship program at Montclair State University affects student interest and engagement in STEM and sustainability. Data were used in a cluster analysis and then in stepwise regressions to assess changing opinions in STEM engagement, interest in the pursuit of a higher degree or career in STEM fields, and sustainability. We found that age, class year, and parent careers in STEM were significant in predicting positive changes in various attitudes toward STEM. While diversity within the programs did not prove to be significant in our analysis, we did find that more diverse groups with more STEM students generally had higher engagement with the program. These findings can be useful in informing other such programs to increase student engagement in STEM disciplines in both academic and professional settings.