ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to explore sense of belonging and intent to return for students in a STEM internship program. This study was grounded in an ethnographically informed case study of an internship program during the summer of 2021. We framed our analysis using Strayhorn’s modified sense of belonging critical socioecological model, with a focus on institutional sense of belonging. The findings demonstrated that sense of belonging varied within the cohort and across the program and broader organization. Sense of belonging in the program was influenced by interactions with other program interns and program design, whereas organizational sense of belonging was influenced by interactions with their mentor and/or team and diversity. Additionally, we found that having a sense of belonging in the organization was a differentiating factor in intent to return. These findings point toward a need to further explore the dynamics of sense of belonging across institutional levels and examine the organizational environments that we are sending students to at the end of internships and experiential learning programs. By examining the nuances of students’ belonging in internships, this study extends higher education frameworks of student success into professional work environments.