Through "BOOST: Building Opportunities for Occupations in Science and Technology," Lake Land College is extending a prior NSF-funded scholarship program that started in 2004 and focused on six technical areas, and will now offer an additional 50 scholarships per year for each of four years starting in the 2009-2010 academic year. The new BOOST scholarship recipients are academically talented, financially needy students selected in an effort to increase the number of well-educated and skilled professionals to fill high technology positions in five Associate Degree areas - Applied Science-Engineering and Manufacturing Technology, Applied Science-Electronics, Applied Science-Information Technology/Computer Science, Science-Natural Science, Science-Math & Engineering.
Scholarship recipients are supported through a number of ways. Lake Land College faculty and staff work together across the identified institutional departments to coordinate project implementation and facilitate BOOST Scholar success; the faculty conduct recruitment activities, encourage students to complete the application and enrollment process, and provide mentoring and academic support for the scholars. Key personnel from Financial Aid and the Lake Land College Foundation help determine financial eligibility, manage the scholarship award process, and maintain the scholarship records. A BOOST retention coordinator works with BOOST scholars to help them overcome academic and personal barriers, and connects students with internship, job shadowing, and mentoring opportunities within industry. The College also offers: Counseling and Career Services that include career planning assistance, online career guidance programs, job search workshops and individual assistance; an Early Advantage Program to identify students at high risk of academic failure and help them through tutoring, career exploration, college transition issues, study skills, time management and test anxiety; and a Learning Assistance Center that offers free math tutoring to all students, something important for BOOST students whose degree programs require a solid foundation in mathematics.
