Growing SEEDS: Evaluating a Community-Centered STEM Mentorship Program to Advance Racial Equity Among Middle School Students

Last registered on June 29, 2026

Pre-Trial

General Information

Title

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0019008

Initial registration date

June 24, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

June 29, 2026, 9:13 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name

Darnell Cole

Affiliation

University of Southern California

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Yasemin Copur-Gencturk

PI Affiliation

University of Southern California

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

In development

Start date

2027-07-01

End date

2029-06-30

Keywords

Education

Additional Keywords

STEM identity, community cultural wealth

JEL code(s)

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

Middle school students of color continue to face inequitable access to high-quality, culturally responsive STEM learning, limiting their confidence, sense of belonging, and academic performance in STEM fields. These systemic barriers weaken STEM identity development, restrict Community Cultural Wealth (CCW), and contribute to persistent achievement gaps for BIPOC youth. The Student Engagement, Exploration, and Development in STEM (SEEDS) program will directly address these challenges by providing culturally responsive, near-peer STEM mentorship and a hands-on, community-centered curriculum. Grounded in Carlone and Johnson’s (2007) Science Identity Model and Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework, SEEDS aims to strengthen students’ STEM identity and build aspirational, navigational, and social capital through projects connected to real community issues. This study uses a randomized evaluation design with approximately 550 middle school students. After students enroll, they will be randomly assigned to either the SEEDS program (treatment) or a business-as-usual comparison STEM program without community-based learning. Random assignment enables a rigorous estimate of SEEDS’ impact on three outcomes: (a) STEM identity, (b) CCW, and (c) STEM test scores. We hypothesize that SEEDS participants will demonstrate greater gains across all three outcomes, advancing educational, racial, and socioeconomic equity for BIPOC middle school students.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Cole, Darnell and Yasemin Copur-Gencturk. 2026. "Growing SEEDS: Evaluating a Community-Centered STEM Mentorship Program to Advance Racial Equity Among Middle School Students." AEA RCT Registry. June 29. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19008-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

Intervention Start Date

2027-09-18

Intervention End Date

2028-06-24

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

STEM Identity
Community Cultural Wealth
STEM test scores

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

STEM Identity: Carlone and Johnson's (2007) Science Identity Framework defines a "science person" through the intersection of their scientific competence, their social performance of scientific practices, and the recognition they receive from themselves and key external figures. For marginalized students, this framework asserts that building a science identity depends less on personal skill and more on overcoming systemic biases to secure vital external recognition as a legitimate "science person."

Community Cultural Wealth: Out of the 6 forms of capital Yosso describes in her 2005 article, we focus on aspirational, social, and navigational capital.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

This study will employ a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of the Student Engagement, Exploration, and Development in STEM (SEEDS) program in strengthening STEM identity, Community Cultural Wealth (CCW), and STEM achievement among approximately 550 middle school students. After enrollment and baseline data collection, students will be randomly assigned to either the SEEDS intervention or a business-as-usual comparison STEM program that does not include culturally responsive pedagogy or community-based learning. Grounded in Carlone and Johnson’s (2007) Science Identity Model and Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework, the SEEDS program integrates culturally responsive STEM instruction, mentorship, and hands-on projects connected to community issues. Baseline and post-program assessments will measure changes in STEM identity, CCW, and STEM test scores. Random assignment will ensure equivalence between groups and enable rigorous estimation of program impacts. We hypothesize that students participating in SEEDS will demonstrate significantly greater gains in STEM identity, Community Cultural Wealth, and STEM achievement than students in the comparison group, providing evidence for the effectiveness of culturally responsive STEM programming in advancing educational equity for BIPOC youth.

Experimental Design Details

Not available

Randomization Method

Randomization will be done in the office by a computer.

Randomization Unit

Unit cluster of randomization is by classroom within grade level (6th, 7th, & 8th grade)

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

18 classrooms across 2 sites; 3 grade levels (6th, 7th, & 8th grade)

Sample size: planned number of observations

For 550 students, we will administer a pre-survey and assessment at the beginning of Fall in Year 2, and a post-survey and assessment at the end of Spring in Year 2.

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

550 (225 in SEEDS treatment and 225 in 'business as usual')

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Power of 0.80 with a minimum detectable effect size (0.44 SD).

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name

IRB Approval Date

IRB Approval Number

Analysis Plan