Examining the Long-Term Effects of the Morehouse College Annual Math Competitions Bootcamp: A Case Study

The educational attainment of students from underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) has been well-documented. Programs such as the National Mathematics and Science Initiative were developed to help level the playing field in STEM education. The literature also emphasized the importance of Black teachers in classrooms with Black students where the success rates of racial matching lead to higher academic success rates. In this study, we explored the impact of the racial matching concept and STEM education by examining the effect of an annually held math competitions bootcamp at Morehouse College, an HBCU in Atlanta, Georgia. Through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, this study examined students' experiences in previous Morehouse College Annual Math Competitions Bootcamps as part of their ecosystems and the impact on their college and career exploration journeys. As part of the student participants' ecosystems, a case study design utilizing focus groups and individual interviews was conducted with a parent, and students (mathletes), who participated in previous Morehouse College Annual Math Competitions Bootcamps. Partnerships between P-12 and postsecondary institutions, specifically minority-serving institutions, can be essential to closing the STEM career gap by hosting P-12 students, hosting campus tours, and out-of-school time (O.S.T.) STEM-related engagement experiences.