Bridging the STEM Gap: Nurturing Talent in Disadvantaged Communities

STEM access and persistence remain highly unequal for academically talented students, especially those from low-income households, where safe, affordable after-school instruction and mentoring are often infeasible. We evaluate two interventions to improve STEM learning, persistence, and career aspirations among 1,350 high-achieving, low- income adolescents (ages 14–16) in rural Karnataka, India, of whom at least 45% are girls. Students are individually randomized to: (1) a high-touch model providing tablets and ~12 hours/week of synchronous online STEM instruction alongside in-person retreats with peers and role models; (2) an aspirational exposure group that attends the same retreats but receives no sustained academic instruction; (3) a control group. We combine administrative engagement data and surveys to measure outcomes at baseline; at midline after 12 months (take-up, learning-platform activity, self-efficacy, engagement in scientific competitions, aspirations, and holistic skills); and at 24 months (Class 10 board scores, Class 11 STEM stream choice, career plans, and parental support and beliefs about education and marriage). The study will generate actionable evidence on the marginal impact of technology-enabled enrichment over and above aspirational exposure in a resource-constrained setting, with implications for reducing STEM talent misallocation and expanding educational opportunity in rural areas.