The AZ HSI Consortium is pleased to announce the Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program as an AZ HSI Evidence-Based Practice. After careful review from colleagues across the state of AZ, the Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program was shown to be an effective program in moving the needle towards greater college access, persistence, retention, transfer, and degree attainment for students in Arizona.
Please read below to learn more about the Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program at Arizona State University.
Overview of Institution
Two decades ago, Arizona State University set forth a new and ambitious trajectory to become a comprehensive knowledge enterprise dedicated to the simultaneous pursuit of excellence, broad access to quality education and meaningful societal impact. From that point forward, all of its energy, creativity and resources have been brought to bear on the design of a uniquely adaptive and transdisciplinary university committed to producing master learners. Today, ASU exemplifies a new prototype for the American public research university.
At ASU, our culture of innovation and inclusion draws pioneering researchers to our faculty and attracts highly qualified students from all 50 states and more than 155 nations. ASU is expanding academic and entrepreneurial opportunities for every type of learner at all stages of life.
ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.
Overview of Program
The Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program (JBMSHP) at Arizona State University is a summer residential program aimed at high school students who aspire to careers requiring mathematics, science, or engineering-based coursework. The mission of the JBMSHP is to provide a successful university experience for Arizona high school students who have limited exposure to higher education opportunities in STEM to enhance their prospects for future academic success. Since 1985, the has served 3,228 students across Arizona and the Navajo Nation, with a focus on supporting students in STEM—including those from low-income households and first-generation college-bound backgrounds. JBMSHP students participate in a rigorous 6-week residential summer program at ASU, where they enroll in a college-level math course for university credit. In addition, they attend academic success sessions that address both academic and social challenges in STEM while offering valuable guidance on college admissions. The summer staff—many of whom are JBMSHP alumni—provide tutoring and mentoring to help students navigate the transition to university life. Seeing successful college students from similar diverse and economic backgrounds helps participants envision themselves in STEM and develop the skills needed for persistence and success in college. All program costs, including room and board, tuition, and supplies, are fully covered by ASU, removing financial barriers and expanding access to higher education. Together, these efforts advance the JBMSHP’s mission to increase the representation and success of underrepresented students in STEM.
JBMSHP students often face challenges in their communities, including limited access to advanced mathematics courses, insufficient academic support, difficulty envisioning themselves in STEM fields, and financial barriers to pursuing higher education. The JBMSHP addresses these obstacles by offering college-level math courses, providing comprehensive academic tutoring and support, actively recruiting in high-need communities, and covering all program expenses. This approach ensures that all students have equitable access to a high-quality pre-college STEM education.
In 2022, the JBMSHP partnered with STEM PUSH, founded as an NSF INCLUDES Alliance, a national network of out-of-school-time programs that provide 100+ hours of authentic STEM through no-cost experiences for high schoolers, most of whom are historically underrepresented in STEM. Through this partnership, the JBMSHP was named one of only six pre-college STEM programs in the United States accredited by the Middle States Association – Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) in 2024. MSA Accreditation credentials programs for continuous improvement toward broadening participation in STEM through college & beyond.
How does this program center servingness?
The JBMSHP provides students the opportunity to see themselves in STEM careers. Participants work with ASU students, who serve as tutors and success coaches, many of which come from similar backgrounds (first-generation college bound, underrepresented in STEM, and/or come from low-income households). For some students, it may be the first time that they see someone that looks like them in a STEM career, inspiring them to do the same.
Projected outcomes:
1. The JBMSHP seeks to empower students and solidify their mathematics skills. Many students have not been mathematically challenged or their schools do not offer higher-level math courses. The JBMSHP pushes students out of their comfort zone by normalizing asking others for help and working together. Students return to their high schools with more confidence in their math skills.
2. The JBMSHP teaches students about the importance of seeing themselves in college and STEM, how to learn from failure, and the importance of hard work to accomplish their goals. The JBMSHP hosts a career panel with alumni working in industry to talk about their collegiate and career experiences, showing students that someone who looks like them can be successful in STEM.
3. JBMSHP students learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are not just limited to their math course; how to navigate college without their parents, how to ask for help, and time management. Since many of the students are first-generation college-bound and/or come from low-income households, they may not have anyone to teach them about these things. Learning these skills at the JBMSHP puts students at an advantage and helps to increase the number of underrepresented students in STEM.