STEM Experiential Learning at Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Towards Latine/x Servingness and Intentionality

Abstract

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are vital to the STEM pathways of Latine/x and other minoritized students, and experiential learning (ExL) is a high-impact practice shown to support postsecondary STEM success. The purpose of this paper is to understand how these intersect by conducting a systematic literature review on servingness in STEM ExL at HSIs, highlighting a growing body of research and policy efforts emphasizing intentionality in serving Latine/x students. Key findings center on the types of ExL HSI STEM students engage in along with structures for serving, including (1) intentional recruitment and engagement; (2) culturally responsive and sustaining STEM practices; (3) institutional and external support and resources; (4) facilitating interactions and engagement with faculty, staff, and industry professionals; (5) and institutional collaborations. We also identified important academic and non-academic outcomes associated with involvement in STEM ExL initiatives. Insights from this review underscore existing structures within HSIs that support more inclusive STEM ExL, while identifying potential opportunities for transforming STEM education within HSI organizations and systems through institutional, industry, and community capacity-building partnerships. Implications for future work on Latine/x servingness and intentionality in HSI STEM ExL are discussed.

1. Introduction

Despite strides to increase diversity, racial/ethnic and gender disparities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields remain (National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2021). This is compounded by recent federal policy changes aimed at dismantling initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI; J. Blake, 2025; Ng et al., 2025; U.S. Department of Education, 2025a), alongside reductions in federal STEM investments (Ballen et al., 2025; Crockett, 2025). Such changes may undermine higher education institutions’ capacity to support underrepresented students, and position DEI initiatives as exclusionary, despite evidence that stronger support for diverse learners benefits all students (Ballen et al., 2025; McCaslin et al., 2026).

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which enroll at least 25% Latine/x undergraduates, have historically had access to federal funding, including Title V grants, which supported Latine/x and low-income students broadly, and Title III—part F HSI STEM grants, which aimed to increase STEM degree attainment among Latine/x and low-income students (U.S. Department of Education, 2023a, 2023b). Organizations such as the National Science Foundation also established targeted grants for STEM initiatives at HSIs (National Science Foundation, 2022). The recent defunding of HSI grant programs (Garcia et al., 2025; U.S. Department of Education, 2025b) constitute macrolevel shifts that can exacerbate disparities and may suppress STEM student supports within these institutions. Still, researchers underscore the importance of experiential learning (ExL) in fostering postsecondary STEM success, especially for Latine/x and other underrepresented, racially minoritized students (R. A. Blake et al., 2015; D. A. Brown et al., 2020; Rodríguez Amaya et al., 2018).

A high-impact practice that enhances learning and development in one’s area of interest, ExL encompasses research, service learning, and internships, to name a few (Kuh, 2012). We focus on STEM ExL, such as undergraduate research experiences (UREs) and work-based experiences (WBEs), that provide real-world, hands-on practice and help students develop the knowledge and skills needed in their respective STEM disciplines (e.g., Roberts et al., 2018). Considering the lack of racial and gender diversity in STEM and the potential for broadening STEM access, HSIs are critical for understanding how ExL can expand resources and help students fully develop their STEM potential. This is critical amid the erosion of federal support structures that may thwart STEM equity efforts in education and workforce development.

While the benefits of STEM ExL are clear, servingness research focused on STEM ExL remains limited and represents a significant gap in the literature (Garcia et al., 2019; Ro et al., 2024). The instrumental role of two-year community college (CC) HSIs and four-year HSIs in the STEM trajectories of Latine/x and other racially minoritized students (Herrera & Rodriguez-Operana, 2020), warrants thoughtful examination of HSI STEM ExL contexts, where institutional structures and relationships with mentors are fundamental to supporting students. Centered on STEM ExL at HSIs, this review contributes to emerging servingness research (Garcia et al., 2019; Ro et al., 2024) and policies urging intentional efforts to serve Latine/x students (Excelencia in Education, 2021). The goal of this review is to shed light on existing structures within and outcomes associated with participation in STEM ExL at HSIs, while identifying opportunities to enhance HSI STEM servingness. Examining servingness in high-impact practices like STEM ExL is especially important in a political climate that threatens critical systems of support within HSIs (Garcia, 2025). By investigating the servingness structures and outcomes that shape HSI STEM ExL, this study illuminates how programmatic, institutional, and broader systemic supports may collectively transform STEM ecosystems.

2. Theoretical Framework: Latine/x Servingness in STEM

Theories of HSI servingness promote organizational structures that uplift Latine/x students, and challenge white-normative standards of academic excellence by reimagining Latine/x student success and persistence through asset-based perspectives (Garcia, 2019; Garcia & Cuellar, 2023; Garcia & Koren, 2020). This involves support for equitable outcomes that extend beyond Latine/x enrollment metrics and are rooted in cultivating an institutional culture that validates Latine/x student experiences (Garcia, 2019). Servingness is multidimensional, involving structures (e.g., culturally responsive mentoring practices) and outcomes (e.g., academic and non-academic; Garcia et al., 2019). STEM servingness, in particular, comprises measures of persistence (e.g., overall/major GPA) and engagement (e.g., interest, belonging, self-efficacy, science identity, employability skills). Disrupting white normative standards that disproportionately advantage white students (e.g., GPA), servingness instead highlights culturally responsive, critical student support, which can be measured through campus climate, mentorship, and collaboration (Garcia, 2019).

Non-academic indicators, such as racial climate or environmental stressors, are key to advancing servingness (Garcia, 2019). Within HSIs, developing a campus climate that supports racial/ethnic diversity and validates Latine/x student experiences is vital (Garcia, 2019; Vega et al., 2022). This is especially important given STEM’s white-centered, heteronormative male dominant culture which perpetuates racial and gender oppression (Herrera et al., 2022). With limited studies on STEM climate from a servingness lens, this area warrants further study (Franco & Hernández, 2018). Servingness urges us to interrogate existing measures of success while adopting new ones that acknowledge multiple forms of knowledge and excellence (Garcia, 2019). Given disproportionate numbers of Latine/x bachelor’s degree earners, success must be measured beyond outcome-based metrics like graduation rates to include culturally responsive engagement and other learning experiences (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, 2022). Servingness offers a framework for measures that complement traditional metrics without further harming Latine/x students. For the purposes of this review, we operationalize multidimensional servingness as the intentional institutional structures embedded within STEM ExL that support students, validate their racialized experiences, and contribute to their academic and non-academic, affective outcomes. Our literature review identifies opportunities to advance STEM servingness by recognizing intentional ExL structures that best support Latine/x and other minoritized students and their outcomes. We also seek to build on recent servingness scholarship which emphasizes how HSIs may intentionally transform student support (Garcia et al., 2025), to consider how collaborative, data-driven approaches may advance servingness for STEM students engaged in ExL.

Guided by multidimensional servingness (Garcia et al., 2019) and intentionality in serving Latine/x students (Santiago & Doyle, 2020), this literature review investigates STEM ExL at HSIs through three research questions: (1) What types of STEM ExL do students engage in at HSIs? (2) What structures and practices within STEM ExL at HSIs serve and support Latine/x and other minoritized students? and (3) What outcomes are associated with participating in STEM ExL at HSIs? The goal is to illuminate how current STEM ExL structures support HSI student experiences and outcomes. By synthesizing empirical evidence across studies, this review fills critical gaps in our understanding of STEM ExL at HSIs and highlights implications for researchers and practitioners. In doing so, this responds to emerging calls for research-based, actionable recommendations to strengthen servingness (Marin & Aguilar-Smith, 2026).

3. Method

Our systematic literature review synthesizes existing research and scholarly articles while minimizing selection bias and underscores significant gaps in the literature (Popay et al., 2006; Crisp et al., 2015). Aligned with prior reviews on HSIs and initiatives serving Latine/x college students (Garcia et al., 2019; Crisp et al., 2015), we conducted a multistep literature review to understand how existing research characterizes the structures, practices, and outcomes of STEM ExL at HSIs.

3.1. Search Strategy

We searched multiple databases including OneSearch, ERIC (EBSCO), Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science, using search terms related to STEM experiential learning and HSIs: STEM “Experiential Learning,” “Undergraduate Research,” “Internship,” “Work-based Experience,” “Hispanic-Serving Institution.” The search spanned 2011 to 2026, and all records were managed in Zotero.

3.2. Selection and Screening Process

We conducted a systematic review using inclusion and exclusion criteria that limited the sample to peer-reviewed studies published in scholarly journals, editorially reviewed scholarship (e.g., book chapters), along with select publications from reputable research centers, excluding trade journals, magazines, and news articles.

The review selection and screening process was informed by PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines (Figure 1). The initial search produced 355 records, which were reduced to 331 unique records once duplicates were removed. Initial title and abstract screening excluded 101 records. While we could not retrieve two of the sources, 228 were assessed for eligibility. This resulted in the inclusion of 86 total publications. We excluded sources that did not involve STEM students (Reason 1); did not include HSIs or students from HSIs (Reason 2); or were unrelated to ExL (Reason 3).

To ensure consistency in the screening and coding of articles, we employed a consensus-based, collaborative approach. The research team jointly reviewed and coded an initial set of five articles to establish shared criteria. In the next step, more than half of all articles were reviewed independently by at least two team members (a student researcher and a senior researcher). The remaining articles were assessed by a senior researcher. Coding decisions and inclusion determinations were discussed during team meetings to compare our interpretations and articulate our coding rationale. Structured dialogue during these meetings allowed us to engage in an iterative coding process, examine variations in coding and refine coding definitions when necessary. Discrepancies were resolved through consensus until the team agreed on how and when to apply specific codes across studies. Because coding disagreements were addressed collaboratively through an iterative process rather than quantified, we did not formally calculate interrater reliability.

To ensure a credible evidence base within the context of emerging literature on STEM ExL at HSIs, our quality assessment focused on verifying that included sources were peer- or editorially reviewed or publications from credible research centers and outlets rather than conducting a full methodological appraisal. Articles included in the review appeared in reputable publications, including general education journals, STEM education journals, and journals focused on the Latine/x-HSI experience (

Table 1. List of publications for articles focused on STEM Experiential Learning at HSIs.

General/Education Journals
AERA Open Education Sciences Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis Educational Researcher Frontiers in Education Harvard Educational Review Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning Journal of College Student Development Journal of Museum Education Journal of Research Administration Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning	Journal of Underrepresented & Minority Progress New Directions for Institutional Research New Directions for Student Services Perspectives on Undergraduate Research and Mentoring Research in Higher Education Research in Higher Education Journal Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research Social Sciences The Review of Higher Education
STEM Education Journals
American Journal of Engineering Education Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education BioScience CBE—Life Sciences Education Frontiers in Microbiology Genome Research International Journal of Science Education International Journal of STEM Education Journal of College Science Teaching	Journal of Environmental Studies & Sciences Journal of Geoscience Education Journal of Research in Science Teaching Journal of STEM Education: Innovation and Research PLoS ONE PRIMUS: Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies Science Education
Latiné/x or HSI Specific Journals
Hispanic Educational Technology Services (HETS) Online Journal Journal of Hispanic Higher Education Journal of Latinos and Education

). The scope of this review centered on summarizing our understanding of existing STEM ExL programs at HSIs rather than systematic assessments of methodological variation (e.g., research design, sample sizes), contradictory findings or potential publication bias. Thus, our results should be interpreted with these limitations in mind.

3.3. Data Analysis

Reflecting multidimensional servingness frameworks (Garcia et al., 2019), we created an a priori coding structure and refined it through an iterative, collaborative process involving repeated article review, adjusting and adding codes as needed and resolving any disagreements through team discussions. The major themes related to our research questions on HSI STEM ExL types, servingness structures, and outcomes associated with STEM ExL participation are outlined in the Results section below. We also noted the various institutional contexts and HSI status of the STEM ExL programs (i.e., HSIs and emerging-HSIs). While HSIs are the focus of this literature review, some studies involved both HSIs and non-HSIs, two- and four-year institutions, and public and private institutions. The unit of analysis differed across publications (e.g., students, faculty, programs, institutions). Further analysis examined whether studies considered the HSI context or focused on “servingness” or “intentionality” to meet the needs of Latine/x and other underrepresented students in STEM at HSIs. With limited scholarship examining HSI STEM servingness or intentionality, we identified two broad categories of studies. The first category explicitly considered the HSI context in the design and implementation of EL. For instance, Daniels et al. (2016) investigated UREs at a four-year HSI with a 90% Latine/x student population, noting that this HSI context allowed for analysis of critical factors for minoritized students (e.g., duration of UREs, faculty mentorship quality, race/ethnicity, English language abilities, gender, SES, etc.). In the second category, HSI status was not explicitly considered or only minimally incorporated into the study or ExL program, with some publications referencing Hispanic-student enrollment or demographics rather than engaging HSI contexts in substantive ways.

3.4. Positionality Statement

Our approach to this review is informed by our educational and professional experiences as scholars of color, primarily women of color and first-generation college students/graduates. We identify as Latina (2), Latino (1), and Filipina-CHamoru (1). Deeply committed to serving students within minority-serving institutions, our research center is situated within a university-level, R1 Hispanic-Serving Research Institution in the Southern California border region. We have experience navigating HSIs and/or emerging-HSIs as students or professionals and have engaged in ExL within these contexts. Together, these lived experiences shape our understanding of the potential for high impact ExL to support HSI STEM students and draw attention to the importance of examining these programs through a servingness lens.

4. Results

Guided by our three research questions, the results section describes (1) the types of STEM ExL that students engage in at HSIs, (2) the structures and practices within these programs that serve and support Latine/x and other minoritized students, and (3) the outcomes linked to STEM ExL participation. Collectively, these findings illuminate how HSI STEM ExL programs counter negative and racialized STEM experiences that are characteristic of often isolating and “chilly” STEM climates (e.g., Herrera et al., 2022).

4.1. Types of STEM Experiential Learning at HSIs

Across the studies that we reviewed, STEM students at HSIs engaged in a range of different types of ExL. Some students were involved in STEM-exclusive programs or programs that were specific to their STEM majors. Other programs were open to all majors but offered students ExL activities specific to their field. A range of STEM disciplines were represented in HSI ExL programs, including biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, geosciences, computer science, among others. ExL program types involved UREs (n = 72) and WBEs (n = 23), with several sources addressing both within HSI contexts. Students engaged in WBEs such as internships, while others engaged in UREs through CUREs, lab-based UREs, NSF REUs, and other UREs involving community-based, sponsored research with non-profit organizations and city municipalities.

Table 2. STEM Experiential Learning Types.

ExL Type	Example/Citation
Undergraduate Research Experience (URE)
Course-based UREs (CUREs)	(Vora et al., 2023) Biomedical Freshman Research Initiative (BFRI) is a CURE within the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences (BMED) program at a 4-year HSI, UT Rio Grande Valley. BFRI is open to all entering freshmen and intends to engage them in research. While self-selected, the majority of BFRI participants are Latine/x, representative of UTRGV’s BMED freshman class. Other CUREs: Abrica et al. (2024), Abrica et al. (2025), Broussard et al. (2021), Dorff and Weekes (2019), Dunbar-Wallis et al. (2024), Ing et al. (2021), Jin et al. (2019), Linton et al. (2025), Shuster et al. (2019), etc.
Lab-based UREs	(Frederick et al., 2021) Excel, a multi-year ExL program situated within a four-year HSI, was created to retain underrepresented students in STEM. The program provides students with full scholarships and stipends, professional development workshops, and peer-mentoring program. The structure of Excel includes a combination of CUREs for first year students, followed by lab-based UREs in subsequent summers and throughout the academic year. Other lab-based UREs: D. A. Brown et al. (2020), Garrett et al. (2021)
National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site (REU)	(Yang et al., 2019): This study is based on findings regarding a NSF REU Program site focused on students in cybersecurity. The program focused on recruiting underrepresented students (women and racially/ethnically minoritized students) and participants from HSIs and institutions with limited research opportunities. Other REUs: DeLucia et al. (2021), Loeser et al. (2021), Martinez et al. (2018)
Work-Based Experiences (WBEs)
Internships	(R. A. Blake et al., 2015) The New York City S-SAFE Internship Program engaged undergraduates from different postsecondary institutions in geoscience activities for 3 weeks. This was a joint program established between New York City Police Department (NYPD), the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), the New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority, and Battelle (a non-profit organization focused on applied STEM). Other internships: Abrica et al. (2024), Cruz et al. (2021), Fedynich et al. (2012), Murray et al. (2025)

features examples of the different ExL types that fit into the broader URE and WBE categories. Though many examples are discussed throughout the subsequent sections on STEM ExL servingness structures, the programs included in the table were selected to illustrate core characteristics of the program types and capture the breadth of ExL available to HSI STEM students. These examples serve as illustrations rather than an exhaustive representation of all UREs and WBEs.

4.2. Latine/x Servingness in the Structures and Practices of Experiential Learning Programs

Along with identifying the different types of STEM ExL offered at HSIs, we aimed to understand how HSI STEM ExL program structures embodied servingness or intentionality in supporting Latine/x and other minoritized students in STEM. We focused on (1) culturally responsive and sustaining practices; (2) intentional recruitment and engagement efforts; (3) institutional and external support and resources (e.g., federal grants); (4) facilitating interactions and engagement with faculty, staff, and industry professionals; and (5) institutional, industry, and community collaborations (see

Table 3. Structures and Practices for Intentionally Serving Latine/x and Other Minoritized Students in STEM.

Structures/Practices	Description/Definition
Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Practices in STEM ExL	Refers to the practices and strategies that STEM ExL programs and educators engaged in to support Latine/x and other minoritized students in STEM, which counter the often alienating STEM disciplinary contexts that students confront and reflect a commitment to affirm and validate students’ multiple identities, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences.
Intentional Recruitment and Engagement	STEM ExL programs intentionally recruited and carried out efforts to engage Latine/x and other minoritized, underrepresented students.
Institutional and External Support and Resources	STEM ExL involved resources provided by the institution or through grants (e.g., HSI or HSI STEM grants, or other external funding provided by NSF, NIH, etc.)
Facilitating Interactions and Engagement with Faculty, Staff, and Industry Professionals	STEM ExL provided opportunities for students to interact and engage with institutional agents such as faculty, staff, and industry professionals. Interactions include mentoring and advising, as well as opportunities to network within STEM and the community.
Institutional and Community Collaborations/ Partnerships	STEM ExL involved key partnerships and collaborations between K-12, CC, University, Community, and/or Industry partners.

for definitions). Though not part of the core analysis, we drew selectively on a few sources slightly beyond the inclusion criteria when they provided useful context or reinforced themes relevant to understanding HSI STEM ExL that may support positive student outcomes.

4.2.1. Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Practices in STEM ExL

Culturally responsive and sustaining (CRS) practices in HSI STEM ExL, incorporated in select programs, intentionally serve Latine/x and other minoritized students (Hora et al., 2021), often combatting negative, racialized STEM experiences. The broader social sciences literature uses several overlapping terms (e.g., culturally relevant/responsive/sustaining/validating pedagogy; Gay, 2018; Ladson-Billings, 2021; Paris & Alim, 2017; Romero et al., 2024); however, CRS practices here denote STEM ExL strategies that affirm and validate students’ identities, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences. In reviewing these intentional practices, we seek to highlight how students benefit from CRS structures while simultaneously acknowledging their contributions to science knowledge and learning (Addario & Langer, 2016). This section outlines how STEM ExL is intentionally designed through CRS structures and practices that ground learning in students’ communities, identities, and lived experiences.

CRS STEM ExL promotes both community engagement and community-centered STEM identity development (Herrera & Kovats Sánchez, 2022). Scientific community engagement is shaped by students’ intersectional identities, including biculturalism, language proficiency, and shared socioeconomic experiences that boost community connections and motivation (Alam et al., 2025). The SomosSTEM program exemplifies a cohesive CRS approach (Abrica et al., 2024). Rooted in the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model, this community-based program integrated multiple components like CUREs, summer internships, and intern-designed place-based curricula to support students’ psychosocial development. STEM ExL that draws meaningful connections to students’ lived experiences and addresses the needs of their communities represents a CRS practice (Abrica et al., 2024) and aligns with programs that value real-world research experiences (Pichon et al., 2025). Place-based ecological research similarly humanizes STEM by connecting student learning to the needs of their local communities and environments (Abrica et al., 2025; Dunbar-Wallis et al., 2024). Humanizing STEM ExL is especially critical within HSIs that serve minoritized students and requires authentic care, sustained commitment, and intentionality in relationships (Abrica et al., 2025; Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025). Along with these efforts, some ExL intentionally connects students’ existing cultural and familial knowledge with new STEM disciplinary skills and knowledge (Fuller & Torres Rivera, 2021). For example, one microbiology CURE embedded family interviews to connect home remedies and overall health to student understanding of antibiotic resistance and microbiome. Additional CRS practices include facilitating hands-on, STEM experiences for students with limited access to research and other ExL (Roberts et al., 2018), offering identity-matched mentorship (Abrica et al., 2024), and activities that promote community building, communication skills, career development, and critical perspectives (Ashcroft et al., 2021; D. A. Brown et al., 2020).

Students, faculty, staff, and industry professionals engaged in STEM ExL help uphold CRS structures. Cohort-based or other STEM ExL models that involve small groups strengthen these efforts by creating communities of practice where students collaborate with peers, build community, and counter the isolation frequently experienced by Latine/x and other minoritized students (Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025; Ruppert et al., 2023). Faculty, staff and administrators further advance CRS practices through approaches like culturally relevant mentoring (Haeger & Fresquez, 2016) and intentional efforts to ensure compositional diversity among those leading ExL activities (DeLucia et al., 2021). Educator-focused efforts, such as equity-minded professional development, increase educators’ cultural competencies and support CRS implementation in STEM ExL (Ashcroft et al., 2021; D. A. Brown et al., 2020; Kato & Marinez, 2020). Some ExL programs, such as Building Undergraduate Infrastructure Leading to Diversity: Promoting Opportunities for Diversity in Education and Research (BUILD PODER), incorporated critical race theory (CRT) education to enhance STEM equity and diversity (Ashcroft et al., 2021). Programs rooted in CRT sought to increase STEM participation among Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) by challenging systemic barriers and providing resources to understand STEM experiences and pathways (Ashcroft et al., 2021; Fernandez et al., 2026). Faculty professional development centering culturally inclusive and growth mindset principles, identity safe classrooms, and stereotype threat awareness further contribute to these efforts (Kato & Marinez, 2020). To enhance servingness, these approaches must be paired with an ongoing commitment to critical reflection and assessment of CRS practices within ExL to ensure they remain responsive to students’ needs (Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025).

4.2.2. Intentional Recruitment and Engagement of Latine/x and Other Minoritized, Underrepresented Students

With unequal access to ExL opportunities (Hora et al., 2022), HSI STEM ExL programs also serve students through intentional outreach and recruitment efforts that seek to engage Latine/x and other underrepresented STEM learners (e.g., women, minoritized students, first-generation college students, etc. R. A. Blake et al., 2015; DeLucia et al., 2021; Loeser et al., 2021; Martinez et al., 2018). Even within diverse institutional contexts like HSIs, Latine/x and other minoritized students may not actively participate in STEM ExL (Hu & Borden, 2025). Thus, recruitment that is intentional and intersectional is critical as STEM ExL participation varies across race/ethnicity, gender, social class, first-generation status, and sexual orientation (Grineski et al., 2017; Hu & Borden, 2025). Though not all programs engage in targeted recruitment (D. A. Brown et al., 2020; Vora et al., 2023), some partner with tribal and CC faculty to engage underrepresented students in summer research (Martinez et al., 2018) or intentionally recruit women from underrepresented backgrounds (i.e., racially minoritized, first-generation college students; Roberts et al., 2018). Other ExL programs were strategically designed for underrepresented students, intentionally recruiting students from HSIs and institutions with limited access to research opportunities (Yang et al., 2019). Because students are often intimidated by faculty (Pierszalowski et al., 2021), educators must implement intentional strategies to involve underrepresented STEM students who remain less likely to participate in ExL (Haeger et al., 2015). In some cases, high rates of Latine/x engagement in STEM ExL reflected broader institutional demographics of HSIs rather than intentional recruitment (D. A. Brown et al., 2020; Vora et al., 2023). For example, while the Biomedical Freshmen Research Initiative (BFRI) at UTRGV (four-year HSI) did not implement targeted recruitment, most participants were Latine/x, reflecting the HSI student demographics (Vora et al., 2023). Intentionally involving Latine/x and minoritized students in STEM ExL early on and during critical transitions provides training and mentorship that may propel academic and career prospects, aiding efforts to broaden STEM participation (Byrd & Mason, 2021; Chang et al., 2015; Martinez Ortiz & Sriraman, 2015).

4.2.3. Institutional and External Support and Resources

Another key form of STEM servingness in ExL involves institutional and external funding for programs, especially given that inadequate resources remain a major barrier to participation in high-impact ExL (Haeger et al., 2021; The Genomic Data Science Community Network, 2022). Federally or privately funded UREs and WBEs have supported STEM success among minoritized undergraduates (Ashcroft et al., 2021; Daniels et al., 2016; Dorff & Weekes, 2019; Loeser et al., 2021). Some HSI STEM ExL programs were supported by Title V/HSI or Title III-part F/HSI-STEM funding (D. A. Brown et al., 2020; Loeser et al., 2021) along with other external sources such as the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program, National Institutes for Health (NIH) or the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Ashcroft et al., 2021; Banks et al., 2018; Garrett et al., 2021; Loeser et al., 2021). Examples include the NIH-funded program BUILD PODER, which provided biomedical research training while supporting transfer and academic achievement (Ashcroft et al., 2021). The SURE program at Yakima Valley College (YVC), a two-year HSI, was sustained by multiple sources of funding including Title III/HSI STEM grants from the Department of Education, NSF’s S-STEM grant and Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation, and a university partnership provided student and faculty financial incentives (Loeser et al., 2021). Similarly, the university-level HSI Excel program offered students substantial financial aid via full scholarships and living expense stipends (Frederick et al., 2021). These paid opportunities are crucial for supporting STEM students’ engagement in high-impact ExL, particularly within HSIs (Addario & Langer, 2016; Murray et al., 2025; Ruppert et al., 2023).

Multiple studies underscored the importance of funding and institutional resources to support STEM ExL (MacLachlan & Caplan, 2015; Monarrez et al., 2024a). Across two- and four-year HSIs, student stipends, mentored research experiences and dedicated physical spaces remain valuable. Institutional support also entails faculty workload considerations (Loeser et al., 2021). Still, opportunities for improving faculty support and compensation are needed. In many cases, funding support shapes faculty decisions whether to engage and mentor undergraduates in STEM ExL (Monarrez et al., 2024a). Further, faculty mentors improved program management and financial effectiveness in addition to enhancing academic training and success (MacLachlan & Caplan, 2015). Institutionalizing STEM ExL through across-the-curriculum approaches that integrate ExL into general coursework expands access to high impact practices, rather than limiting ExL to capstone projects or extracurriculars (Corbett & Rosen, 2020).

4.2.4. Facilitating Interactions and Engagement with Faculty, Staff, and Industry Professionals

Building on efforts to institutionalize STEM ExL, several programs also strengthened student engagement with institutional agents such as faculty, staff and industry professionals centered on internship or research experiences (Bensimon et al., 2019; Rodríguez Amaya et al., 2018; Wolfgram et al., 2021). Enhancing faculty research and mentorship roles also bolsters URE participation (Godreau et al., 2015). Research-centered support for the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey increased faculty research engagement through publications, presentations and external grant applications, ultimately expanding faculty capacity to serve as research mentors. Detailed in the sections that follow, two noteworthy forms of student–institutional agent interactions involve mentoring and networking or community connections.

4.2.5. Mentoring and Advising

In STEM ExL, primary interactions with STEM faculty, staff, and industry professionals frequently occur through mentoring and advising (Ashcroft et al., 2021; Beer et al., 2019; Carpi et al., 2017; Kato & Marinez, 2020). Mentors engaged students in research projects and professional conferences, offering several avenues for contributing to the field through STEM UREs or WBEs (Ashcroft et al., 2021; Jin et al., 2019; Kato & Marinez, 2020). Several studies emphasized the need to foster and sustain strong faculty–student mentoring relationships, given mentors’ role in facilitating ExL (Ashcroft et al., 2021; D. A. Brown et al., 2020; Rodríguez Amaya et al., 2018). Faculty mentors also boost the positive outcomes associated with STEM ExL (Joshi et al., 2019). Robust, structured ExL mentorship enriches students’ STEM skills and interest in applying STEM skills to solve community and environmental issues (R. A. Blake et al., 2013; Jin et al., 2019). Moreover, participation in mentored research has been shown to promote students’ STEM goals and aspirations, particularly when coupled with peer support (Carpi et al., 2017). Mentor capacity to support HSI students’ development in STEM may be enhanced through engagement in professional learning activities (D. A. Brown et al., 2020).

Mentorship quality is a key driver of student development and gains from STEM ExL participation (Daniels et al., 2016; Monarrez et al., 2020). High quality mentorship, often characterized by qualities such as engaged listening and supporting student agency (Estepp et al., 2016), may matter more for positive student outcomes than the length of the mentoring relationship. Culturally relevant mentoring may be especially valuable for HSI STEM students (Haeger & Fresquez, 2016), and collaborative, mutually beneficial mentorship that reflects a commitment to broadening STEM participation exemplifies this approach (Pichon et al., 2025; Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025). Minoritized students, in particular, may benefit greatly from intentional mentorship models that embody servingness and are responsive to their intersectional identities (Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025). Further, research indicates that having a mentor with similar identities promotes student gains (Morales et al., 2018). As many recognize the value of mentorship, some ExL programs, such as the Excel multi-year URE, sought to boost student relationships with faculty and peer mentors (Frederick et al., 2021). In a long-term, comprehensive program of this kind, engaging in multiple UREs (CUREs, lab-based, etc.) with different mentors was key, especially when faced with some negative and isolating mentor interactions. This structure helped students build supportive relationships with at least one mentor who nurtured their STEM interest, passion and skills.

Some programs also incorporated peer-mentoring (Beer et al., 2019). For example, peer mentors from the Peer Research Consultant program at a four-year HSI in Southern California strengthened students’ URE engagement (Beer et al., 2019). Similarly, some ExL peer-coaching models paired mentees with culturally matched mentors, used intrusive frequent-contact coaching, and provided both holistic social and academic support. These strategies promoted student academic achievement, persistence, and access to ExL while offering valuable work-based leadership experiences for peer mentors (Cruz et al., 2021).

4.2.6. STEM Networking and Connections to Community

In addition to mentorship, many ExL programs facilitated student networking opportunities with STEM faculty, peers, industry professionals, and community members (Ashcroft et al., 2021; R. A. Blake et al., 2015; Rodríguez Amaya et al., 2018). This section focuses on students who connect through STEM ExL, underscoring the relationships, networks, and community connections that expand personal and professional support systems for students. Networking helps students form relationships with key figures whose advice and resources support STEM educational and professional advancement (Ashcroft et al., 2021). For instance, BUILD PODER networking through research projects and conferences connected students to scientists who provided academic guidance (Ashcroft et al., 2021). Some programs linked students to STEM professionals in the community through structured networking opportunities. As exemplified by the S-SAFE Internship Program, formal connections to multiple organizations through community-focused projects allowed students to work with geoscience professionals in their field (R. A. Blake et al., 2015). Another example is a natural sciences internship program that expanded networking opportunities through visits to natural resources facilities and internships beyond the local region (Fedynich et al., 2012).

Building students’ community connections and addressing critical needs within their communities through STEM ExL is an important, culturally responsive way to develop Latine/x and other minoritized students’ science identities (Herrera & Kovats Sánchez, 2022). Networking and community engagement are especially important for minoritized STEM students whose families often endorse collectivist values and view STEM careers as tools for solving community issues (Rendón et al., 2019). Some programs, like the Si Puedo Project, engaged families and communities by hosting events such as a Latine/x Family Event “Bienvenida” (Kato & Marinez, 2020). This one-day family event during Hispanic Heritage Month fostered social support to enhance STEM student success. Intentional networking and community engagement, key elements of servingness in some programs, often laid the foundation for strong mentor–mentee relationships, which are also essential for STEM servingness in ExL.

4.2.7. Institutional and Community Collaborations and Partnerships

Complementing networking efforts, several HSI programs established institutional and community collaborations that were critical for creating and sustaining STEM ExL opportunities (Ashcroft et al., 2021; R. A. Blake et al., 2015; Loeser et al., 2021; Martinez et al., 2018). Key collaborations span K–12 institutions, CCs, universities, community, and industry partners, forming the backbone of STEM ecosystems that support HSI students. Cross-departmental collaborations within institutions (e.g., between academic departments providing UREs and career services/counseling) offered holistic support to Latine/x STEM learners (J. P. Martin et al., 2019; Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2024; Sansone et al., 2019).

Collaborations with university, community, and industry partners are vital in two-year CCs or universities where teaching and advising often take precedence over research and where external collaborations help expand research- and work-based experiences (Ashcroft et al., 2021; R. A. Blake et al., 2015; Loeser et al., 2021). Developing collaborations may be important for broadening access to essential infrastructure and equipment needed to facilitate STEM ExL opportunities (The Genomic Data Science Community Network, 2022). Engaging multiple stakeholders in program development may enhance STEM ExL at two-year HSIs (Loeser et al., 2021). For example, YVC’s SURE program leveraged partnerships with four-year institutions, agricultural centers, businesses, and federal and state agencies to offer diverse STEM UREs and secure funding for programming, student and faculty stipends, and faculty incentives. Comparably, S-SAFE Geoscience Internships partnered with government agencies, non-profit organizations and two- and four-year institutions to provide students with hands-on STEM experiences, strengthening institutional capacity and promote teamwork, cross-agency collaboration and greater racial and ethnic diversity in the field (R. A. Blake et al., 2015). These CC–university collaborations not only expand and sustain STEM ExL pathways for students transferring from two-year colleges but also highlight the importance of developing students’ collaborative skills, an essential competency for STEM progress and productivity (Ashcroft et al., 2021; Morales et al., 2017). Collectively, examining these collaborative structures demonstrates how institutions enact servingness and lays the groundwork for understanding how partnerships may boost student outcomes resulting from STEM ExL.

4.3. Latine/x Servingness and Intentionality in Experiential Learning Outcomes

Servingness structures shape the academic and non-academic outcomes of Latine/x and other minoritized students, and these outcomes, in turn, are markers of institutional servingness (Garcia et al., 2019). Example academic or career-related outcomes include STEM employability skills, research skills and knowledge, overall or STEM GPA, course completion, STEM persistence, graduation or college completion rates, transfer rates, post-baccalaureate enrollment, and career/labor market outcomes. Many studies investigated the associations between STEM ExL participation and academic outcomes (D. A. Brown et al., 2020; Collins et al., 2017; Ing et al., 2021; Loeser et al., 2021; Shuster et al., 2019; Vora et al., 2023). Still, non-academic or affective outcomes are also important indicators of Latine/x servingness. These encompass outcomes such as academic self-concept, social agency, racial identity, science identity, scientific community values, leadership identity, critical consciousness, social justice orientation, civic engagement, and graduate school aspirations (Shuster et al., 2019; Stanfield et al., 2022).

4.3.1. Academic and Career Outcomes

Research generally demonstrates the benefits of STEM ExL participation for academic and career-related outcomes (Collins et al., 2017; Marciniak, 2020; Preuss et al., 2022; Rogers et al., 2012; Vora et al., 2023), with several studies showing links between ExL engagement and academic performance. One study found that CURE participants earned higher grades in STEM courses compared to peers without research involvement (Ing et al., 2021). Barron et al. (2020) similarly found that sustained research participation was associated with higher GPAs. Some program outcomes indicated more nuance in how ExL may support academic outcomes. While BFRI participation was not related to GPA or four-year degree completion, students demonstrated greater retention rates at their university HSI and in their biomedical program (Vora et al., 2023). Beyond university-level retention, STEM ExL outcomes also encompass high transfer, graduation and/or continued enrollment rates among program participants. Some CC-level STEM ExL programs provided important transfer support, with BUILD PODER students given the option to continue university-level research upon transfer to a four-year HSI (Ashcroft et al., 2021).

Studies on HSI STEM ExL also consistently emphasize gains in students’ STEM employability and research skills, such as collaboration, leadership, and lab experience, while supporting real-world applications of STEM learning (Ashcroft et al., 2021; Broussard et al., 2021; Collins et al., 2017; DeLucia et al., 2021; Dorff & Weekes, 2019; Roberts et al., 2018; Stoeckman et al., 2019). Programs like the Preparation for Industrial Careers in Mathematical Sciences (PIC Math) program, an NSF-funded CURE, increased awareness of industry careers, while enhancing students’ communication skills and confidence in addressing research problems (Dorff & Weekes, 2019). STEM ExL advances scientific practice skills, developing students’ capacity to collaborate, present research and provide peer feedback (Broussard et al., 2025; Richard & Yoon, 2021), with early STEM ExL exposure emerging as especially important for cultivating STEM research practices, skills, and persistence (Jin et al., 2019; Sansone et al., 2019; Vora et al., 2023).

Programs that incorporate intentional professional development activities further strengthen STEM employability and research skills (Richard & Yoon, 2021). For example, Charlevoix et al. (2021) demonstrated the value of engaging CC students in summer industry internships along with structured professional learning. Activities spanned communication seminars (e.g., CV writing), professional skills workshops (e.g., email etiquette, file management), conference presentations and attendance, and geoscience career circles where professionals’ trajectories are shared. In addition, STEM ExL engagement encourages future research activities, propels learning and skill development, while shaping graduate school interests and career goals (Preuss et al., 2022). Generally, students value STEM ExL for developing STEM workforce competencies (Adamczyk et al., 2021).

4.3.2. Non-Academic, Psychosocial or Affective Outcomes

Building on traditional academic and career-focused measures of STEM success, research has increasingly called for the need to support STEM students’ non-academic, psychosocial or affective outcomes. Across the growing research base, STEM ExL participation consistently corresponds with sense of belonging (Kato & Marinez, 2020; Linton et al., 2025). This is an important indicator of servingness, a mark of validating STEM experiences often linked to retention and persistence. Cohort-based ExL (Vora et al., 2023) and other programs like Si Puedo highlight how STEM ExL can strengthen Latine/x students’ affective outcomes, such as sense of belonging. In this four-year HSI ExL program that coupled a Summer Bridge URE with a year-long EXCEL Transfer Learning Community, belonging was cultivated by supporting students’ social and academic integration through faculty-mentored research, peer–mentor community building, workshops, and classes (Kato & Marinez, 2020). Likewise, CRS STEM ExL that is place- or community-based (Dunbar-Wallis et al., 2024) and multilayered bolsters students’ sense of belonging along with supporting their development of key psychosocial attributes such as science identity and self-efficacy (Abrica et al., 2024). Several studies also revealed the benefits of STEM ExL engagement for students’ STEM or science identities, scientific self-efficacy or scientific community values (Daniels et al., 2016; Dunbar-Wallis et al., 2024; Loeser et al., 2021; C. Reyes et al., 2025; Shuster et al., 2019). Other non-academic outcomes of STEM ExL include students’ program satisfaction (DeLucia et al., 2021), their views on the value of STEM or research (R. A. Blake et al., 2015; Shuster et al., 2019), and broader perceptions of institutional support and educational experiences (Collins et al., 2017). Involvement in STEM ExL activities that encouraged growth, such as adapting to separation from their families during summer UREs, promoted the development of important psychosocial skills that may be helpful as they advance in their STEM academic and professional careers (Frederick et al., 2021).

Some STEM ExL simultaneously supports academic, career and non-academic outcomes, illustrating how servingness operates across multiple dimensions of student experiences (Ashcroft et al., 2021; R. A. Blake et al., 2015; Fedynich et al., 2012; Frederick et al., 2021; Garrett et al., 2021; Loeser et al., 2021; Shuster et al., 2019). BUILD PODER, for instance, supported science identity development and research passion alongside academic outcomes like transfer and collaborative STEM skills (Ashcroft et al., 2021). A four-year CURE similarly increased science self-efficacy, identity, community values, and intention, in tandem with supporting academic progress; one year later, 86% of participants graduated with a STEM degree or remained a STEM major (Shuster et al., 2019). The dual benefits of STEM ExL were also evidenced in programs that increased geoscience task values in addition to improving student research, writing, and presentation skills (R. A. Blake et al., 2015). Other programs concurrently strengthened STEM identity and personal research gains (R. A. Blake et al., 2013; Daniels et al., 2016; Loeser et al., 2021) or increased scientific literacy while building research self-efficacy, though these psychosocial gains did not always translate into long-term academic or career outcomes (A. Martin et al., 2021).

High-impact STEM ExL that intentionally integrates affective supports with academic and career preparation enhances students’ capacity to persist and pursue advanced STEM opportunities. For some, ExL helps solidify STEM interests and understanding of graduate pathways (Bensimon et al., 2019; Frederick et al., 2021; Mastronardi et al., 2021; Whittinghill et al., 2019), while mentorship, research experience, advising and family involvement contributes to graduate school preparation by enhancing community cultural wealth (Monarrez et al., 2024b). This emphasis on cultural assets aligns with undergraduate STEM ExL that infuses CRT to empower students with critical knowledge of STEM and institutional contexts, facilitating their transitions to graduate school (Fernandez et al., 2026). Relatedly, STEM ExL that fostered students’ appreciation of degree completion and STEM employability skills prompted them to view themselves as more marketable candidates for STEM careers (Fedynich et al., 2012). Together, these patterns illuminate the potential benefits of STEM ExL that simultaneously advance non-academic, affective outcomes and academic or career progress. Overall, this literature review deepens our understanding of how servingness and intentionality shape HSI STEM ExL programs and structures, advancing efforts to transform student experiences and outcomes across academic, career and affective domains.

5. Discussion

Drawing on servingness and institutional intentionality frameworks (Excelencia in Education, 2021; Garcia et al., 2019; Santiago & Doyle, 2020), this systematic literature review illuminates the structures and practices within HSI STEM ExL programs that support positive experiences and outcomes among Latine/x and other minoritized students. Transforming HSIs (Garcia, 2023) through the lens of racialized organizations (Ray, 2019) requires advancing research, theory, and practice in ways that deepen our understanding of multidimensional servingness within STEM ExL. Such work must interrogate structures for serving students, as well as the experiences and outcomes associated with STEM ExL participation. This review analyzed existing forms of HSI STEM servingness within ExL and integrates related scholarship to illuminate opportunities for continuous improvement in supporting Latine/x and other minoritized students. Overall, our findings highlight how strengthening HSI STEM ExL may help transform STEM ecosystems of support through intentional program design, institutional commitment to servingness, and collaboration.

5.1. Towards Latine/x Servingness in STEM Experiential Learning at HSIs

Examining HSI STEM servingness in ExL, and the potential to intentionally transform these spaces for Latine/x and other minoritized students, must consider institutional and disciplinary contexts through a racialized lens (Ray, 2019). This is crucial as CRT emphasizes notions of race permanence, with whiteness and racism embedded within and reproduced through social and academic institutions (Bell, 1992; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995), an enduring feature that continues to shape educational systems (Ladson-Billings, 2021). Transformation demands centering race and disrupting whiteness in the academy by “decredential[ing] whiteness, redistribut[ing] resources and power within the institution, coupl[ing] race and organizational rules, policies, and procedures, and actively empower[ing] racial-ethnic-Indigenous groups,” (Garcia, 2023; p. 19). Within STEM, where racial and gender inequities persist (Herrera et al., 2022), servingness requires confronting how meritocratic and equal opportunity ideologies embedded in institutional STEM practices marginalize BIPOC students (Nguyen et al., 2021). To transform HSI STEM ExL programs in ways that more holistically serve Latine/x and other minoritized students, we must consider and challenge the sociohistorical context of STEM disciplines and academic settings, including the racism and sexism that all too often pervade these spaces (Herrera et al., 2022). Recognizing these lived realities underscore why CRS STEM ExL practices are essential structures of servingness that have the potential to transform students’ racialized experiences in STEM.

5.2. Centering Latine/x and Other Minoritized Students in STEM ExL

Insights from this review highlight the need to center the experiences of and support for Latine/x and other minoritized students in HSI STEM ExL. The studies that we reviewed encompassed a variety of STEM ExL opportunities for HSI students, including different types of UREs and WBEs, yet few explicitly considered how the HSI context shapes these experiences for Latine/x and other minoritized students. Enhancing servingness within HSI STEM ExL, therefore, warrants intentionality within the full range of ExL opportunities available, so that the structures and practices embedded within them actively center minoritized students. Considering the benefits of STEM ExL, improving access for minoritized students is especially important in institutional contexts where ExL programs remain limited (The Genomic Data Science Community Network, 2022; Roberts et al., 2018; Yang et al., 2019). Because CCs and HSIs play an important role in the STEM pathways of Latine/x and other minoritized students (Herrera & Rodriguez-Operana, 2020) yet often offer fewer ExL opportunities, we draw particular attention to the structures supporting STEM transfer students navigating ExL opportunities in these settings.

Despite HSI STEM ExL participation among Latine/x and students from other underrepresented groups (e.g., students of color in general, first-generation college students, etc.), few programs explicitly centered these students through CRS practices (Ashcroft et al., 2021; D. A. Brown et al., 2020; DeLucia et al., 2021; Martinez et al., 2018). Oftentimes, programs with predominantly minoritized participants were shaped by the broader HSI institutional context rather than intentional outreach and recruitment. This parallels research urging HSIs to center Latine/x students rather than implement race neutral or Latine/x evasive initiatives (Aguilar-Smith, 2021; Casellas Connors, 2021; N. Vargas & Villa-Palomino, 2019). While our empirical synthesis identified some strategic efforts to recruit and support Latine/x and other minoritized students in HSI STEM ExL (DeLucia et al., 2021; Martinez et al., 2018), intentional and intersectional recruitment is essential in addressing the distinct barriers faced across racial, gender, social class, and first-generation identities as HSI enrollment does not guarantee STEM ExL involvement (Hu & Borden, 2025; Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025). This is especially critical given that the STEM representation of women (Bowman et al., 2022) and minoritized students and faculty help shape STEM academic outcomes (Herrera et al., 2022; Rincón, 2020). Within STEM, where both patriarchy and whiteness continue to shape students’ gendered and racialized experiences (Herrera et al., 2022), intentional recruitment and support for Latina/e/x and other women of color in ExL remains crucial.

Although some programs led targeted recruitment efforts and integrated CRS structures, opportunities for continued growth in these intentional endeavors to serve remain. This includes the push for HSI and broader DEI initiatives to operate from an intersectional and Latine/x centered lens (Aguilar-Smith, 2021; Casellas Connors, 2021; Garcia & Cuellar, 2023). Few studies in our review explicitly ground their ExL practices in intersectional frameworks—a gap that future research and practice must address, given the potential of ExL to transform STEM experiences for minoritized students, including Latinas and other women of color at HSIs (Murray et al., 2025; Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025).

Because interactions with faculty, staff, and industry professionals are vital to STEM ExL, these engagements may be enhanced by grounding them in CRS practices. One possibility for advancing servingness may involve intentional professional development and training for faculty, staff, and industry professionals engaged in ExL with Latine/x and other minoritized students. While broader research underscores the need for training that cultivates mentors’ student- and growth-centered practices (Frankino, 2026), we learned that equity-minded professional learning opportunities, focused on CRT and intentional support for students of color, may be critical for preparing educators and professionals to work with diverse STEM ExL students at HSIs (Ashcroft et al., 2021; Fernandez et al., 2026; Saetermoe et al., 2017). This means that STEM ExL leaders and stakeholders must go beyond professional learning that enriches their STEM disciplinary knowledge and skills (The Genomic Data Science Community Network, 2022). Such professional development may be helpful in cultivating high-quality mentorship that is key to positive student outcomes (Monarrez et al., 2020). Advancing equity in STEM spaces requires faculty and institutional agents to actively address belonging, privilege, implicit bias, and stereotype threat (Killpack & Melón, 2016; Garcia, 2019). Equipping ExL leaders with these critical skills complements research on asset-based, CRS approaches that help mentors understand students’ individual and community needs (B. Brown & Komlos, 2019), as well as HSI transformation efforts to empower racial–ethnic–Indigenous groups through social support structures and funding for undervalued work (Garcia, 2023). Additional research suggests strengthening mentorship quality through formal training, consideration of students’ perceptions, and core competencies such as effective communication, clear expectations and attention to diversity (Beauchamp et al., 2022; Fleming et al., 2013; Pedersen et al., 2022; Stelter et al., 2021). Identity-matched mentorship, based on shared social identities (e.g., race/ethnicity) or psychological characteristics (e.g., values), is also linked to positive student outcomes (Pedersen et al., 2022; Morales et al., 2018; Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025). By and large, these insights underscore the potential for deepening CRS structures through intentional, equity-focused practices among those facilitating HSI STEM ExL.

5.3. Beyond Supporting Academic and Career Related Outcomes

While some studies examined specific STEM ExL structures, others assessed HSI STEM ExL involvement more generally without discussing specific program elements (Collins et al., 2017). This points to the need for research to more explicitly and intentionally assess STEM ExL structures for serving beyond surface level measures of ExL participation. Consistent with research in other institutional settings (e.g., Adedokun et al., 2013), multiple studies reviewed here demonstrated that STEM ExL engagement at HSIs promotes positive development and outcomes among students, including academic-based measures like STEM course grades and program retention (e.g., Ing et al., 2021; Vora et al., 2023) and non-academic, psychosocial or affective outcomes like sense of belonging and strengthening STEM interests and graduate school aspirations (e.g., Frederick et al., 2021; Kato & Marinez, 2020). Some research expand our understanding of academic and career-related outcomes to include competencies like applying scientific methods, scientific collaborations, and effective data management and analysis (Anderson et al., 2020), as well as enhanced thinking and decision-making processes (Harrison et al., 2011). These broader competencies complement evidence linking STEM ExL engagement to graduate or medical school aspirations, increases in STEM and research interests, and long-term STEM career persistence and commitment (Eagan et al., 2013; Harrison et al., 2011; Schultz et al., 2011; Villarejo et al., 2008). Research also demonstrates that early and sustained ExL across two- and four-year institutions is critical for STEM transfer students’ career-related outcomes, offering insight into ExL structures that may benefit STEM students navigating both CCs and HSIs (Gamage et al., 2021). Collectively, these findings underscore the importance of STEM ExL that is intentionally designed to serve Latine/x and other minoritized students, especially within HSIs.

Despite mounting evidence that links STEM ExL participation with academic and career outcomes, there is still a need to further investigate what specific HSI STEM ExL program practices and structures support these outcomes. Our results suggest CRS practices may support outcomes beyond academic and career development (Ashcroft et al., 2021; D. A. Brown et al., 2020; Martinez et al., 2018). Within HSIs, these approaches may improve servingness by promoting non-academic, psychosocial outcomes such as community-centered STEM identity (Harris, 2021; Herrera et al., 2022; Siwatu, 2007) and sense of belonging (Kato & Marinez, 2020). ExL helps clarify students’ STEM interests and understanding of graduate school (Bensimon et al., 2019; Frederick et al., 2021; Mastronardi et al., 2021; Whittinghill et al., 2019), while activities building students’ community cultural wealth support their graduate school preparation (Monarrez et al., 2024b). Such holistic support, which acknowledges students as “whole beings”, may be imperative as institutions strive to propel the STEM aspirations and success of BIPOC students (Nguyen et al., 2021).

Herrera and Kovats Sánchez (2022) highlight the need to ground STEM programming and ExL in culturally relevant, critical, and social justice practices and perspectives to support students’ community-centered STEM identities. ExL focused on students’ families and communities (Abrica et al., 2024; Fuller & Torres Rivera, 2021) reflects CRS practices and complement real-world research experience (Pichon et al., 2025) and place-based ecological research that humanizes STEM by connecting disciplinary learning to local environments (Abrica et al., 2025; Dunbar-Wallis et al., 2024). Related scholarship on student-centered, social-justice oriented approaches similarly emphasizes connections between ExL and students’ lived realities (Vaughan et al., 2018) and advocates for community-focused problem-solving as a core dimension of STEM learning, encouraging students to value STEM as means to contribute to their communities (Garibay, 2022). This emphasis on community contributions parallels research demonstrating the value of honoring students’ ecological knowledge within tribal and CCs and leveraging these strengths to address critical community issues (Carroll et al., 2019).

Within HSIs, families play an important role in shaping students’ STEM identities (Dou & Cian, 2022). Thus, CRS STEM programming seeking to serve Latine/x and other communities of color must engage students’ family and community networks (Harris, 2021; Herrera & Kovats Sánchez, 2022; Siwatu, 2007). This includes cultivating strong, positive relationships with students and their families (Harris, 2021), and intentionally drawing on their cultural knowledge to create inclusive learning environments that validate student experiences, knowledge, values, and practices (Fuller & Torres Rivera, 2021; Harris, 2021; Paris & Alim, 2017; Siwatu, 2007). Such cultural understanding empowers educators to adapt their teaching approaches in ways that inspire community building and strengthen students’ existing assets. Cohort-based and small-group STEM ExL complement these strategies by encouraging collaboration and creating communities of practice that cultivate as sense of belonging and community (Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025; Ruppert et al., 2023). Moreover, incorporating curriculum or activities that acknowledge the contributions from students’ racially and culturally diverse communities may enhance students’ prospects for meaningful, deep learning in STEM (Siwatu, 2007). Garcia et al. (2019) similarly emphasized validating experiences as a core element of Latine/x servingness, including opportunities to connect with same-race/ethnicity peers, culturally affirming campus spaces, Spanish-speaking faculty and staff, and identity-based mentoring and support groups.

Alongside family- and community-centered approaches, scholars also emphasize ongoing assessment as a key CRS tool for understanding students’ strengths and outcomes (Siwatu, 2007) and for supporting critical reflection among educators (Harris, 2021). This aligns with broader HSI research emphasizing data-driven insights to advance servingness (Garcia et al., 2025). Within STEM ExL at HSIs, embedding CRS structures requires constant and critical reflection on the curriculum and practices of the learning environment (Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2025). These approaches may help to ensure the cultural relevance of STEM activities while still reflecting global awareness and avoidance of stereotypes (Harris, 2021; Siwatu, 2007). Ultimately, sustaining CRS STEM ExL requires ongoing critical reflection, assessment of student experiences and outcomes, and a continued commitment to adapt practices in ways that center students’ evolving needs.

5.4. Building Capacity at HSIs: Institutional, Community, and Industry Collaborations

Our synthesis of the literature on STEM ExL at HSIs also offers insights on building capacity at HSIs through strategic collaborations within institutions, between two- and four-year HSIs, as well as with community and industry partners. This contributes to research emphasizing community college–university–industry partnerships (Barkanic et al., 2020) and the fundamental role of collaborations in advancing both STEM servingness (Rodriguez-Operana et al., 2024) and servingness more broadly at HSIs, including the collaborative approaches of HSI transformation teams (Garcia et al., 2025). Cross-campus collaborations, for instance, initiatives that combine mentoring and career services, offer holistic support for Latine/x STEM students that extends beyond the research or work-based experience itself (Martinez et al., 2018; Sansone et al., 2019). Similarly, comprehensive STEM ExL programs that integrate several components such as paid experiences, mentorship, community building and equity-centered coursework enhance support for STEM transfer students’ outcomes across multiple domains (Gamage et al., 2021; Kato & Marinez, 2020; M.-E. Reyes, 2011). Because mentorship is central to these approaches, a better understanding of the factors that facilitate faculty mentorship within STEM ExL remains essential (Morales et al., 2016). These insights underscore the importance of collaborative, student-centered structures within STEM ExL at HSIs, especially for transfer students, who often begin in CCs and continue through HSIs—institutions that are vital to the STEM pathways of Latine/x and other minoritized students. For two-year HSIs, key partnerships with universities, community, and professional organizations also facilitate STEM ExL for students who may not otherwise have access to STEM research and industry experiences (Ashcroft et al., 2021; R. A. Blake et al., 2015; Loeser et al., 2021). Four-year university connections afford institutional structures, resources and funding often required for ExL programming (Loeser et al., 2021). Because early hands-on STEM experiences can shape STEM aspirations and future enrollment (Chan et al., 2020), expanding institutional collaborations to include K-12 schools may be essential for cultivating STEM success throughout students’ educational trajectories.

The potential for HSI capacity building may be better realized through robust institutional-community collaborations that bolster the benefits of ExL for Latine/x students. Collaborations involving multiple stakeholders within STEM ExL programs at HSIs also offer opportunities for students to expand their personal and professional networks and connect their STEM ExL work to their communities. This is especially important for Latine/x and other minoritized students, whose families often endorse collectivist and altruistic values, and view STEM careers as tools for solving community issues (Carlone & Johnson, 2007; Espinosa, 2011; Garibay, 2022; Guiffrida et al., 2012; Herrera & Kovats Sánchez, 2022; Rendón et al., 2019; Rincón & Rodriguez, 2021). Further, developing personal, professional, and community networks may be key in fostering minoritized students’ persistence and sense of belonging within STEM where they may be subjected to experiences of racism and sexism (Campbell-Montalvo et al., 2022).

Institutional and external funding and resources are critical to HSI capacity building efforts that seek to serve students through high-impact STEM ExL. Financial support for ExL programs, as well as funding to support educators, industry professionals, and students engaged in these programs is an important consideration for sustainability. The potential benefit of substantial financial backing is demonstrated by the Excel program’s comprehensive funding model that provided a full scholarship and monthly living expense stipends to URE participants (Frederick et al., 2021). Securing institutional and external grants and funding necessitates that institutions move beyond seeking HSI designation and involves intentional efforts to apply for and receive funding to support HSI initiatives. Aligned with previous research, institutional advancement activities are an important indicator of HSI servingness (Garcia, 2023; Garcia et al., 2019) and may play an important role in advancing servingness within HSI STEM ExL. Alongside financial resources for programming, servingness-aligned institutional support may entail providing dedicated physical spaces for high-impact ExL (MacLachlan & Caplan, 2015). Such centralized spaces for STEM ExL participants help students study, network and cultivate a sense of belonging and community (Vaughan et al., 2018).

5.5. Study Limitations and Implications for Future Research, Policy, and Practice

As the research on STEM ExL at HSIs is still emerging, our review did not include a detailed methodological appraisal, and variations in study quality, contradictory findings, and potential publication bias remain important limitations. Although published studies often favor positive outcomes, some studies documented negative or challenging student experiences, like isolating mentor interactions within ExL, further emphasizing the importance of servingness structures such as opportunities to engage in multiple ExL activities with access to multiple mentors. Even so, examination of shared themes across existing scholarship with a servingness lens (Garcia, 2023; Garcia et al., 2019) offers a meaningful contribution by identifying core programmatic features that support minoritized students in STEM and advancing broader understandings of servingness within HSI STEM ecosystems.

Building on these contributions, our systematic review of the literature has several implications for future research, policy and practice as we move toward servingness in STEM ExL. Synthesizing empirical evidence yields data-informed insights into the existing STEM ExL structures that support HSI students and reveal opportunities for growth, contributing to broader efforts to generate research-based, actionable recommendations that advance servingness and institutional transformation (Marin & Aguilar-Smith, 2026). In the study of STEM ExL at HSIs, there is a greater need for studies that operate from the lens of asset-based theories and frameworks that serve to validate and empower Latine/x and other minoritized students. For example, HSI research should incorporate multidimensional servingness frameworks to understand how STEM ExL structures and practices may intentionally support students’ positive outcomes across multiple domains (Garcia et al., 2019; Garcia, 2023). This includes understanding how ExL programs may be structured to provide validating experiences for students while addressing discrimination and racialized experiences within STEM and the institution. Moreover, educators and researchers involved in STEM ExL programming at HSIs must center Latine/x servingness and intentionality in the outcomes we study and prioritize in STEM ExL (e.g., both academic and nonacademic, affective outcomes). Amid substantial changes in federal funding for HSIs and STEM initiatives at these institutions, future research must assess how campuses are reimagining ExL and how state or philanthropic support can contribute to their long-term sustainability.

Areas for further inquiry on should also explore community-centered STEM identity (Herrera & Kovats Sánchez, 2022) as a key outcome of participating in servingness-aligned HSI STEM ExL that is anchored in intentional, CRS structures and practices. Fostering a community-centered science identity and the whole, complex identities of students of color in STEM is critical. Though some studies have examined STEM identity development as an outcome of ExL participation, there remains a need for CRS STEM ExL that explicitly connects students’ personal identities, communities and lived experiences to their identities as STEM professionals. Considering the collectivist and altruistic orientations prevalent within Latine/x and other communities of color, transformations in STEM ExL programming at HSIs must incorporate activities that bridge community and advancements in STEM. This approach reflects the importance of community engagement for students’ whose families and cultural values perceive STEM careers as levers for community uplift (Guiffrida et al., 2012; Rendón et al., 2019).

Beyond research and theory, implications for HSI STEM ExL policy and practice have the potential to shape students’ lived experiences engaging in ExL. Shifts in federal HSI funds along with executive orders restricting postsecondary DEI initiatives (Latino Times, 2025; Ng et al., 2025; U.S. Department of Education, 2025a) may further constrain institutional capacity to scale STEM ExL, emphasizing the significance of our findings for educators and policymakers championing this work while navigating changes in available federal support structures. This is consistent with calls for institutions to deepen commitments to innovations in teaching and learning, for example, by intentionally embedding STEM ExL into existing curricula, rather than relying on external sources to sustain ExL programs (Ballen et al., 2025; Frankino, 2026). As whiteness and racism permeate even minority- and Hispanic-serving institutions, advancing Latine/x servingness and intentionality must reimagine organizational policies and practices (Garcia, 2023). Such organizational changes may entail policy and funding reforms that more closely align with racial equity and justice, particularly when current practices, structures, and policies reify negative STEM experiences or limit minoritized students’ STEM ExL engagement. Without substantial changes to organizational policies, financial support and institutional structures, such initiatives may be less likely to cultivate sustainable change. Because HSIs play a central role in advancing economic mobility (M. Vargas & Dancy, 2025) and STEM training for many Latine/x and other minoritized students (Herrera & Rodriguez-Operana, 2020; Santiago et al., 2024), strengthening STEM ExL at these institutions remains a critical strategy for expanding student support and opportunities for long-term success, even amidst shifting policy landscapes.

6. Conclusions

Through a comprehensive synthesis of the literature, key findings contribute to the field of STEM higher education by shedding light on how HSIs can better support Latine/x and other minoritized students through servingness and intentionality in STEM ExL. Identifying STEM ExL types across studies illustrates the breadth of ExL available to HSI students. Our analysis also underscores the intentional servingness structures and practices that may be incorporated in STEM ExL: culturally responsive and sustaining practices, intentional recruitment and engagement, institutional and external supports, and efforts to facilitate student interactions with STEM faculty, staff, and industry professionals through mentoring, networking and community connections. A fundamental dimension of servingness, we also emphasize academic, career-related, and nonacademic, psychosocial or affective STEM ExL outcomes that reflect more holistic outcomes and humanize STEM student experiences. These findings illuminate the strengths of existing HSI STEM ExL structures that can positively shape STEM student experiences and outcomes, offering a vital foundation for future directions in HSI STEM ExL research, theory, and practice.

Overall, this work draws attention to the importance of STEM ExL in advancing HSI servingness and possibilities for enhancing student support. By synthesizing findings across multiple studies, programs, and HSIs, our review offers research-based, actionable recommendations that may inform how HSIs can intentionally shape STEM ExL programming. More specifically, results reveal opportunities to intentionally center students and cultivate more robust servingness structures within STEM ExL that have the potential to shape student experiences, development and trajectories. This may involve reimagining how HSIs serve students and engage their families and communities in STEM learning and may require deeper institutional commitments to innovations in existing curriculum that seek to integrate high-impact ExL activities. As HSIs navigate evolving educational policies and shifting student needs, strengthening STEM ExL servingness structures remains imperative to bolster their role in advancing STEM pathways and opportunities for Latine/x and other minoritized students.