The Mentor Matching Engine

Mitigating issues of gender equity in STEM will require a multifaceted approach that involves individuals, organizations, and policymakers. As a non profit our work is dedicated to addressing a few key issues; underrepresentation of women, lack of role models, confidence, identity, and intersectionality. The differentiating feature of our work is our ability to make strides towards each of these solutions in an accessible, virtual environment. 

As evident in the current workforce, Women, and non-binary persons, are underrepresented in STEM fields, due to historical exclusion and societal standards that have traditionally dissuaded girls from exploring STEM pathways. Our solution integrates the power of mentorship, through our virtual platform, The Mentor Matching Engine (MME). MME allows students to work alongside industry and academic mentors that reflect their same identities. The scarcity of female role models in STEM can be discouraging for young women and girls who aspire to work in these fields, so it’s critical to help foster relationships and networks for young women to connect with those in the field. 

In providing mentorship, students have the ability to receive feedback, validation, and encouragement in the problem solving process. This is necessary to build student confidence in their ability to pursue and be successful in STEM. Studies have shown that women in STEM often experience a lack of confidence, which can hold them back from achieving their potential. 

Identity is another critical factor in gender equity in STEM. Developing a strong sense of identity as a STEM professional is important for women in STEM, as it helps them overcome the imposter syndrome and other challenges that they may face. Additionally, identity can be a powerful motivator, driving women to pursue careers in STEM and inspiring them to serve as role models for the next generation of STEM professionals.

It is essential to recognize that identity is not a monolithic concept and that the intersection of gender with other aspects of identity such as race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status plays a crucial role in shaping experiences and opportunities in STEM fields. Intersectionality highlights the importance of addressing the specific barriers that women from marginalized groups face in STEM fields, and developing solutions that acknowledge their unique experiences.

Overall, ISTI has a proven track record in building student confidence and creating space for every student to bring their whole self to the experience. We know that addressing confidence and identity in STEM is critical to promoting gender equity in the field. By building confidence and fostering a strong sense of identity, we can help women in STEM overcome the challenges they face and create a more inclusive and equitable STEM community.

The Mentor Matching Engine (MME) is an online collaboration tool that virtually connects students with academic and professional mentors. MME provides a way for students and mentors to build relationships and dive deep into STEM research projects without the geographical barriers associated with traditional mentorship. Students are able to select a mentor that aligns with their identity and project subject matter, and engage weekly through a discussion thread and video conferencing. By connecting with mentors through MME, students are not only able to develop a deeper understanding of the intersection of identity and STEM career pathways, but are able to start building a supportive network of professionals to guide them beyond the course of their project.

Our target population is high school students, specifically those that identify as being a part of historically excluded populations. We strategically partner with schools and teachers eager to make connections with the working world. 

At ISTC education, we work in community with our participants. We practice human centered design throughout our programs to center empathy and work to understand our participants' needs. Through meeting our students where they are and soliciting ongoing feedback, we are able to implement new strategies that suit their needs and give them the most out of this experience. 

By working in community, we are able to see tremendous growth from our students in many different ways. From strengthening identity, opening up new lines of sight through mentorship and building an innate sense of success, our students are able to see themselves in the solution of tomorrow and have the confidence to pursue their dreams in the field of their choice.

For 10 years the Illinois Science and Technology Institute has been aligning our work to community feedback. Through consistent feedback, evolution, evaluation, and conversations we have grown alongside the community needs and positioned ourselves in a light of trust and support. As a statewide organization, it was critical for us to get to know community liaisons, district leads, teachers, and other advocates so that we can honor their voices in the design of our programs. 

Our staff has invested in training with local consultants and the National Equity Project to immerse ourselves in courses focused on Participatory Design and Liberatory Design. We consciously reflect on tenants of both when interacting with students and new communities.

Our solution currently serves 1300 students and 475 mentors. 

As a small non profit organization, our biggest barrier is capacity. Most of our team holds an education background and has worked consistently to upskill our tools to better create productive partnerships. We would greatly benefit from the support program offered through the Challenge award. Technical barriers have always been present in the evolution of MME. We are working with a team of developers currently to increase the user experience. Separately, the learning and development modules aimed at refining your business model, theory of change, and plans for scaling would be a game changer for the organization. 

The learning and development modules focused on refining the business model can help our organization identify new revenue streams, evaluate our cost structure, and optimize our operations. By refining our model, we can increase our impact, attract more funding, and create sustainable practices.

Our Theory of Change was developed 10 years ago, and while we have made updates each year, it is a critical component of ISTI’s organization's strategy. Assistance focused on our theory of change can help us evaluate our current approach and refine our strategy to increase impact.

Scaling is a significant challenge for ISTI. We are eager to develop a clear plan for growth, identify new opportunities, and overcome barriers to expansion. 

ISTI believes the Challenge award resources can provide valuable insights and tools to help the organization develop a clear strategy, optimize its operations on The Mentor Matching Engine, and achieve its mission of creating a stronger, more diverse, and inclusive STEM talent pipeline in IL. 

Becky lives and works in the Chicago area. She was an educator in the public school system prior to joining the ISTI team and has cultivated relationships with ecosystem partners, community liaisons, school advocates, and corporate leads. Even as the Director she remains active in student interaction and is boots on the ground when it comes to MME implementation. 

ISTI's Mentor Matching Engine Platform takes a new and significantly improved approach to connect mentors and students by breaking town tradition barriers to mentorship including scheduling conflicts and geographical convenience. This safe and secure online platform uses a matching algorithm that ensures that mentor-student pairs are carefully matched based on their specific preferences, expertise, and goals, leading to more meaningful and tailored connections. The emphasis on safety and security, including mentor background checks and teacher oversight, instills confidence in participants and encourages broader engagement.

The platform's innovative features and approach have the potential to catalyze broader positive impacts in the education and mentorship space. By demonstrating the effectiveness and conveniences of technology-enabled mentorship programs, the Mentor Matching Engine can inspire educators and professionals to participate in mentorship. Moreover, the platform's scalability and accessibility work to remove geographical barriers, and enable mentors and students from diverse backgrounds to connect and learn from each other, ultimately fostering the next generation of professionals and problem solvers.

Mentor Matching Engine will change the market by revolutionizing the mentorship landscape. By providing a convenient and safe platform that enhances mentor-student connections, the market for mentorship programs can become more inclusive, efficient, and impactful. The platform's success can encourage organizations, schools, and communities to develop their own mentorship initiatives, leveraging technology to improve educational experiences and create positive change.

ISTI’s intended long-term impact goal is to better prepare the next generation of innovators and to develop a diverse STEM talent pipeline, particularly providing an access point for students historically excluded from these opportunities. 

In the next year, ISTI is striving to impact students directly by engaging them on MME.  Our impact goals include: 

1. Build student problem solving skills
2. Increase engagement with STEM professionals 
3. Improve student confidence in their STEM skills
4. Build student teamwork, collaboration and communication skills
5. Build student interest and awareness of STEM career options and pathways

To measure progress towards impact goals, the ISTI collects data on several key indicators. 

First, we collect the number of mentor-student connections. By tracking the total number of successful mentor-student matches made through the platform over a specific period can demonstrate the platform's growth and reach. Increasing match rates indicate a broader impact by facilitating meaningful connections.

Next, we solicit user satisfaction and feedback data. Collecting feedback from mentors and students about their experience with the platform can provide insights into user satisfaction levels and the effectiveness of the mentorship connections. Conducting surveys, interviews, or feedback forms can help gauge user satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.

Lastly, we measure outcomes and impact on participants. Evaluating the soft skills and attitudes that resulted from the mentorship connections facilitated by the platform is crucial for measuring impact. This can include tracking skills such as problem solving and communication, and attitudes including confidence in ones work and perseverance and well at future outlooks on one’s career are some of ISTI’s indicators of success among mentees. Sharing success stories and testimonials can help showcase the platform's positive impact on individuals' lives.

By annually monitoring these indicators and analyzing the data, the platform can assess its progress towards impact goals. This information can guide decision-making processes, support ongoing improvements, and provide evidence of the platform's effectiveness in fostering successful mentor-student relationships.

The Illinois Science and Technology Institute leverages the Mentor Matching Engine to foster important partnerships with schools and industry partners in order to provide students with access to real world problem-based learning opportunities and engagement with mentors. ISTI believes that access to problem-based learning (focused on real world problems) and STEM mentors will provide students with an opportunity to build skills necessary to be successful in STEM including problem solving, teamwork, collaboration and communication skills. We also believe that access to hands-on STEM applications will generate interest, build student capacity,  and raise awareness of STEM study and career opportunities for students. This access will allow students to see themselves in STEM. We have seen first hand that as students repeatedly apply, refine, and build their knowledge and skills, they will increase their confidence in their STEM skills. 

Our solution is designed with dosage and access in mind because dosage matters; having more experience with STEM learning opportunities prior to college is associated with more notable STEM career accomplishments. Exposure for students traditionally excluded from STEM opportunities is an issue of accessibility. In order to build a more diverse, inclusive talent pipeline, these communities must have access to these opportunities, and the Mentor Matching Engine provides a secure and effective environment to increase access. 

The core of the Mentor Matching Engine is the power to connect virtually, anytime, anywhere, in a safe and secure environment. In partnership with our developers MME is run using Ruby on Rails along with a variety of backend supports that allow us to enable a discussion feature, video conferencing, and document sharing. 

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The organization has been working on MME for 10 years.

At ISTI, a commitment to DEIA is central to our mission and work. Our leadership team values and embraces diverse perspectives, including individuals from various social, cultural, and identity-based backgrounds. We provide ongoing professional development opportunities for team members to continue improving DEIA practices and knowledge. 

We extend our commitment to DEIA to the organizations and mentors with whom we partner. Through our programs, we strive to create inclusive spaces where students can show up as their authentic selves, feel supported, and thrive. We actively seek partnerships with companies and organizations that prioritize DEIA and share our commitment to creating an equitable learning environment. 

Mentors play a critical role in creating this learning environment–to ensure that mentors are equipped with the necessary skills and strategies to do so, we host required DEIA and trauma-informed mentorship training for all participating mentors. A main tenet of ISTI’s mentor training is that mentorship is a mutually beneficial relationship, which especially aligns with MIT Solve’s value of mutual respect. This training provides mentors with the knowledge and skills to be intentional allies and advocates for their mentees; it allows them to gain a deeper understanding of students’ unique challenges, and learn the best way to provide support, guidance, and a safe environment for students to grow. 

We aim to lighten the financial burden of resources on our schools and engage with corporate sponsors to offset costs. Schools pay a nominal fee to participate on the Mentor Matching Engine which covers mentor recruitment, mentor training, teacher professional development, and ongoing program support. Company sponsors help cover the costs of mentor background checks, culminating events, and general platform maintenance. 

Each stakeholder receives a letter of commitment outlining the support and resources they have throughout the duration of participation on the platform. 

Sustainable partnerships are key to our financial success. Companies play a paramount role in supporting vulnerable populations in their communities. Mentorship has been a value add for all of our companies, with 100% of MME mentors reporting that they value their employer for offering the opportunity to mentor.  

ISTI has had incredibly high retention rates amongst corporate partners with 100% returning between the 2022 and 2023 program year. We hope to continue to grow over the next program year with the building traction around MME.