Introductory statistics needs innovative, evidence-based teaching practices that support and engage diverse students. To evaluate the success of a multidisciplinary, project-based course, we compared experiences of under-represented (URM) and non-underrepresented students in 4 years of the course. While URM students considered the material more difficult than non-URM students, URM students demonstrated similar levels of increased confidence in applied skills and interest in follow up courses as non-URM students. URM students were found to be twice as likely as non- URM students to report that their interest in conducting research increased. Increasing student confidence and interest gives all students a welcoming place at the table that will afford the best hope for achieving the kind of statistical literacy necessary for interdisciplinary research.