This project is awarding scholarships to academically talented and financially needy engineering students and is supporting the scholars through a variety of structures and programs. Women and students from underrepresented groups are being especially targeted for support. Scholarships are being awarded to students in their sophomore and junior years with the students transitioning into paid internships or research experiences for their senior year. One of the primary project goals is to improve the retention through graduation rate for the targeted students. The scholarship cohort is being clustered in Academic Excellence Workshops that correspond to particular sophomore- and junior-level engineering courses. In these workshops, students form study teams and practice collaborative learning to solve problems. The workshops are guided by upper-division peer facilitators. Students are also being provided with career mentoring through a number of strategies, including regular meetings with faculty advocates.
