This project focuses on increasing the retention of engineering students, particularly women and minority students, through a set of initiatives that are helping mid-range students survive and thrive in STEM fields. These initiatives include: (1) Scholars Assisting Scholars which employs exceptional students from underrepresented populations to staff a tutoring program that serves all students, (2) Campus Internships which allows first-year students to investigate engineering early to help maintain their interest as they take foundation courses that can be discouraging, (3) Job Shadowing which provides an opportunity to follow a practicing engineer or scientist as they engage in their regular activities, (4)Hands-On Engineering which offers the opportunity to gain laboratory exposure with a variety of engineering and science instruments before actually taking the course that utilizes them, (5) Turbo Math which is an intensive summer program to allow students to "catch-up" in math, and (6) K-State Family Connections which creates communication linkages with family and friends of students to support their success in engineering and science. Through these activities and the resulting system to support retention, the investigators intend to obtain a 10% Increase in the total number of BS graduates in STEM fields, a 25% increase in the number of women earning BS degrees in STEM fields, and a 50% increase in the number of students of color earning BS STEM degrees. The program is being evaluated through participant interviews and surveys to improve the program as it evolves, and a summative evaluation is planned near the end of the project to determine the overall success. Dissemination efforts include journal publications and meeting presentations.
