Valencia College in Orlando, FL on behalf of the Central Florida STEM Alliance (CFSA) is seeking funding under the LSAMP B2B program to double the number of underrepresented minority (URM) STEM students (from 321 to 642) transferring from three community colleges to the University of Central Florida (UCF) and other universities. The target population for this project is African Americans and Hispanic students. The community colleges within the Alliance are: Valencia College, a designated Hispanic Serving Institution, fiscal agent and project lead, (VC), Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC), and Seminole State College of Florida (SSC). This project will expand and focus efforts toward building a system and infrastructure for URM students in STEM majors. This project will focus efforts to increase the transfer rate of underrepresented minorities through focused efforts including: 1) providing clear and targeted advising; 2) providing information about STEM fields and career opportunities; 3) encouraging their projective identity as a STEM professional; and 4) increasing opportunities for students to conduct research.
