RISE Stars: An Experience Report on a Cohort of Black Freshmen Women in Computing

Despite significant efforts in recent years towards broadening participation in computing, the representation of Black women remains disproportionately low. Many Black women who start a computer science (CS) program often face barriers prompting them to reconsider and ultimately change majors. Recent work centered on the intersectional experiences of Black Women identify the nuances of what is needed to aid in the persistence of Black women. For example, career awareness and faculty mentorship are found to be especially important to Black women's computing persistence. Other studies have highlighted the importance of peer mentoring and a sense of belonging. In this study, we report on a research-based, targeted intervention for Black women in computing that aims to increase their persistence in the field. This intervention is aimed at first-year, traditional freshmen who are Black Women majoring in CS at a research university. The RISE Stars program consists of four main components designed to build and sustain a supportive community among the students: peer-based mentoring, a group-based social impact project, monthly cohort meetings, and social media platforms. This experience report describes the first year of organizing this program, shares initial promising outcomes, and describes lessons learned that can serve as a model to others to replicate.