To feel a bit weird about this?

[YourApplePie]

NC, not a reverse or anything clever like that.

My DD14 has been invited to attend a STEM residential at a good university. It's entirely free and includes ongoing mentorship if she wishes to continue in the relevant subjects. She's a fairly high achiever across the board and expressed an interest in it when a teacher spoke to her about it. All good.

I received an email about it today and among the details was the fact that this programme is only open to pupils of Black heritage (which she is and I am). I explained this to my daughter, as she was wondering why her friends (white, like pretty much everyone at her rural secondary school) didn't know about it.

She was fine about it and still wants to go, but I feel a bit weird about it. Perhaps that there are kids in her school who'd benefit far more from it that aren't eligible.

AIBU to feel weird about my DD getting this opportunity because of her heritage?

Perhaps that there are kids in her school who'd benefit far more from it that aren't eligible.

Do you think your DD isn’t deserving of the place?

Yes and no.

She's a good student that'll definitely engage with the opportunity. But I doubt very much she's the strongest candidate in STEM subjects (not her favourites) and we're in a position to help her ourselves or provide tutoring. It's the fact that her heritage was one of the criteria that I can't seem to swallow.

Hmm, I think I would feel the same.

Is it based on the fact that statistically the uptake of black pupils in STEM is lower? So this is a good way to even the paying field?
Or do they think black pupils are more disadvantaged? (Are they?)

Is it based on low income as well or just heritage?

While your dd is clearly well supported by yourself, the fact is that she lives within a society that is still racist and therefore may face a subconscious bias in the future in accessing work and higher education. It seems perfectly reasonable to me to make an attempt to counterbalance this in a small way by offering this opportunity.

Most STEM fields are very, very white and would undoubtedly benefit from a much broader pool of qualified and talented people. I assume this is a way to help to create that pool.

As such, it is not actually about benefitting the pupils - it’s about benefitting the profession. So the fact that other pupils may have benefitted more is unfortunate for them, but not the purpose of the programme.

I don’t think it’s vastly different to encouraging girls to take STEM subjects, in order to encourage more diversity. It’s an area that was historically hugely male dominated and strategies were implemented to address the imbalance. Perhaps, statistically, there’s fewer black students electing STEM. 🤷‍♀️

I think I understand your reticence and it depends how you feel about diversity promotion. A while back I read a blog from a Black university student who recounted her experience as one of the few people of colour on her particular campus (can’t seem to find it now). In essence she said it became obvious that any time there was an event that was being photographed, she was nudged to the front or picked to be photographed and she got a sense she was being used to show how diverse the place was and she stared to feel used and resented the feeling of manipulation…

I would do a little research on the organisation that’s finding this and see if you feel any better about their mission and the choice to select pupils of Black heritage and whether it’s a genuine effort at showing students their options and helping the industry open up to all sections of society or if you think it’s a PR stunt.

*funding

It’s to encourage black students into higher education. I too, would feel strange about it but if she is happy, leave her to it.

It would not worry me one bit. I would absolutely take advantage of any legal opportunity that was directed at me or my dc.

This scheme has been created to encourage black pupils to engage with stem subjects and that is precisely what it is doing.

Is there a caveat that says 'but not if some white kids deserve it more' or 'but not if she isn't the top stem student in the school'?

Because, when it was devised, they would have been well aware that all of that could be a possibility but did it anyway.

agree with this.

I've benefited in life by being in a minority in my field, I've also suffered from being in a minority. I'd say take the opportunities that are offered.

Would you feel as strange about an event for girls in STEM?

If not, why not - I think that would be a question worth exploring. It's exactly the same principle IMO.

I think I'd feel different about that because of the numbers involved - I'm assuming 50% of the school is female whereas I would wager that there are only 3 or 4 students of Black heritage in her year group.

I can see why you feel a bit disconcerted but there will be plenty of opportunities for other kids as they get older.

I've had a similar thing with my DD who is 18 and has been on a couple of mentoring programmes this year based on her 'disadvantaged background' and the fact that 'ordinary' state school kids are under represented in the career she wants to go into.

Our disadvantages:

Single parent family (since the age of 12, still in regular contact/good relationship with dad)
Non working household (for 18 months as I became a carer to my parents during the pandemic)
First generation to go to uni (I applied but decided against it, later did a post-grad level professional qualification as a mature student).

Just be pleased for her and let her go along and enjoy it. Life is tough enough for our young people atm...any opportunity they're offered that they want to take up should be grapsed with both hands imho.

Let her go for it! The opportunity is there to try to do something to offset racist bias. It’s great that she is being offered this support.

How about the opportunity it provides for her to be in space that's not dominated by white kids? Hopefully led by scientists with black heritage (deliberately using your terminology).

I'd guess that's as valuable to her as to anyone else, and may not be an opportunity she has frequently as she's in a predominantly white school.

Also, it's good seeing exceptional people overcome barriers often experienced by people of colour, regardless of the field of interest.

I would presume it’s also about role modelling. So she can see other kids, older students and adults who look like her and are interested in STEM so she grows up seeing it as something that could be an option for her which is something that may be a challenge when she come to considering career paths when these industries have very little diversity.

For me it's the difference between equality and equity.

For equality - sure, all the kids in your DD's class should be equally considered and then the most deserving chosen.

But to gain equity - many educational institutions are addressing under-representation in a more intentional way - clearing the pathway for under-represented groups, increasing their chances of gaining diversity in the industry.

At my work (also STEM) we identified we have a low % black employees, so actively target universities in America with a high proportion of black students, because we want to create a more diverse, therefore more inclusive, and more innovative workforce.

I can see how it feels weird. But it sounds like a good opportunity for your DD.

As a white parent of white DC, I'm very conscious that I and my children get huge advantages in terms of unconscious bias, conscious bias and at worst due to downright racism. Programs like the one your DC has been invited to attend are intended to level that playing field a bit. If she wants to do it, she should grab it with both hands and not feel guilty. Yes, maybe there is a white boy in her school who is more into STEM and would get more out of it. But there are plenty of white men working in STEM already.

My company are actively working to gain more interest from people who quite frankly aren't white males with workshops and experiences for young people only accessible to the demographics chosen in each region they're operating in.

Whether that equates to interest as adults remains to be seen but I support the idea that we want it to be as normal for a white male to apply for engineering jobs as a woman with an Indian background or man with a Malaysian background. I do think there needs to be more done for the normalisation to happen.

That's not disadvantaging others, just opening the door a little wider so potential can come from across our population instead of the traditional entries only.

I imagine the opportunity for your daughter has come from a similar viewpoint and aim.

I was the reciprocant of a significant scholarship throughout my university years (black heritage). At the time, and even now when I reflect on it, it felt a little strange accepting and using it, knowing that there were probably more deserving kids needing it. However, the scholarship had been made available to all people who fit a specific criteria, which I did, including the academic part, and this scholarship helped me so, so much. It made my studying years so much more enjoyable and freeing. I had time to concentrate on my speciality, and found a niche job that I loved.

So OP, I think if your daughter applies and succeeds in getting the scholarship, great. The money is there to help students succeed academically, and it sounds like your daughter could do well with it.

We have an internal code when we hold large meetings (Town Halls, All Hands) - and the presenters are largely white, middle class, conservative (small c) and male.

We write, 'JAWG'.

Just Another White Guy.

I've learned that we can be as inclusive as we like, but until we're actively hiring equitably, and have fixed issues that stop a more diverse group of people accessing our business - we will be stagnant and homogenous.

(for avoidance of doubt I'm JAWW - Just Another White Woman - but there are far fewer of us, than JAWGs).

Thank you to everyone for their replies.

I was looking at it from the wrong perspective - I wasn’t considering how these schemes will benefit industries in the future. I did actively seek out the most diverse primary school I could find for her, as I was one of very few non white pupils in the schools I attended, but for secondary we just went with the best one.

And I’m not keen on the phrase ‘Black heritage’ but it was the one they used!

It’s interesting - I have a friend who is Indian Australian and is a surgeon. She has said to me before that she never attends any of the “women in surgery” events and definitely not any events directed at non white people as she has a horror of anyone thinking she’s only in her position because of her sex or race.
Equally, I can see the POV of others in this post - the position is there, just take the advantage handed to you.
See it as a networking opportunity if anything. I’m a lawyer and personally I enjoyed the “women in my specialty” events as it was a good way of meeting people and they often had interesting speakers as well.