This project awards 20 scholarships annually and provides multiple support services to promote full-time enrollment and degree achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines by eligible students. Target disciplines are Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Mathematics, and Physics.
Intellectual Merit: Project objectives are to: (1) recruit, graduate, and transfer increased numbers of STEM students, especially women and underrepresented minorities; (2) provide awardees with academic, career, and professional development opportunities for transfer to 4-year institutions or employment; and (3) strengthen existing informal consortia agreements and develop such relationships with other four-year institutions to ease awardees' transfer. Recruitment efforts focus on local public schools and Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) students currently enrolled in college algebra and science courses. Scholarship recipients receive mentoring by STEM faculty, academic/career advising, a two-day summer career identification experience, a seminar series with a career lunch featuring a guest speaker each semester, networking opportunities with employers and prior awardees, Individual Academic Learning Plans, and optional STEM internships. Recipients are encouraged to transfer to four-year institutions by designating up to 20% of the scholarship funds to "follow" awardees who have earned an associate degree or 45 credits in STEM fields when they transfer. The project is guided by the scholarly literature on student success and builds on the college's success with prior NSF projects.
Broader Impacts: This project broadens participation of underrepresented groups and strengthens existing academic partnerships to increase student awareness of, and preparation for, STEM fields. Scholarships reduce awardees' need to obtain employment while attending college and allow the students to attend full-time. Dissemination of results through the project website, conference presentations and poster sessions, and publication of peer-reviewed articles extends the project's reach.
