Low-income people and communities are at a disadvantage in every aspect of society, and STEM fields are no exception. Low income people are severely underrepresented in STEM fields for a variety of reasons, the most glaring of which being the lack of overall resources possessed by low-income individuals and communities. At the individual level, some families are unable to provide their children with access to computers or reliable internet connections, both of which are things needed to participate in today’s digital STEM world. Many low-income students also lack the most important resource: time. These students must take care of siblings or work to support their families. Hence, low income students often lack the resources and time needed to explore STEM fields or dedicate themselves to STEM related extracurriculars.
At the broader community level, schools in low-income areas lack the necessary funding to provide students with opportunities to learn more about STEM fields. Things such as comprehensive science labs are expensive to maintain and not strictly necessary to a student’s core education; as such, these programs are the first to be slashed by schools with tight budgets. Beyond direct STEM resources, schools often fail to provide low income students with the support networks needed to explore STEM beyond grades K-12. Such opportunities, for example college or university, require time consuming applications, stellar grades, and steep tuition fees. There are many brilliant students who never make it to secondary education because they are never supported in the process of qualifying for and applying to such schools. Jobs in the STEM field almost exclusively require some type of degree or certification that can only be earned in these higher educational institutions. From the very start, low-income students are at a distinct disadvantage as they are often unaware of STEM opportunities and cannot access STEM programs even if they want to.
So why does low-income inclusion in STEM even matter? STEM jobs are much higher paying than most other careers, and can help lift low-income people out of the cycle of poverty. By uplifting low-income communities and providing them with the necessary resources and opportunities, we can help future generations. Furthermore, representation is extremely important in any field, but especially in STEM. Marginalized groups are historically vastly underrepresented, leading to a number of biases that influence the scientific field. We need a variety of perspectives in order to conduct well-rounded scientific studies that are free of inherent biases, and this includes perspectives of low-income people, which are particularly valuable due to the classism that is so deeply embedded in our society.
What can we do to solve this? Uplifting low-income communities is all about reallocation of funding and resources. We need to bring awareness about STEM opportunities beginning at a young age. This starts with funding for STEM classes and experiences in low-income schools and communities. Some have even proposed a “STEM pipeline” similar to the path that high level athletes take in their quest for the Olympics. Beginning in elementary or middle school, students would be deliberately introduced to various STEM experiences that they would return to each year, all the way up to college and employment. Key parts of this path are support networks for students as they apply to colleges, and comprehensive financial aid so that students can attend college without the burden of student loans, and the debt that follows. Overall, we must find ways to open access to STEM careers for low income communities so that we may increase representation in STEM fields and help break the worldwide cycle of poverty.
Sources:
https://www.theedadvocate.org/low-income-kids-nowhere-found-stem/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lowincome-and-minority-st_b_2920675
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/digital-divide-persists-for-minority-low-income-students
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/college-applications-down-low-income-students/
Really as an low income family background students from Bangladesh i can feel it. Thanks for sharing those resources.