The project is supporting 45 low-income, educationally talented and disadvantaged STEM students with $5,000 scholarship each year for the duration of their education at the college. The Edmonds Community College STEM Scholarship (EdSTEM$) project provides a suite of student support services including cohort meetings and social networking, faculty mentors and advisors, 2-credit cohort classes, study rooms and online tutoring, intensive mathematics interventions, career exploration and preparation, transfer preparation, service learning and undergraduate research, and the creation of an e-portfolio. Disciplines represented include biology, chemistry, computer information systems, computer science, engineering, environmental science, mathematics and physics.
Intellectual Merit The EdSTEM$ project is building on earlier CSEMS scholarship projects. The project is strengthened through the active participation of faculty from all STEM disciplines, the college's research office, financial aid office and career center, the coordination with the college's MESA and TRiO SSS programs and the participation of all area high schools and the school district's Equity and Achievement parent advisory committee. EdSTEM$ is creative in that support components have been tailored to the academic success and level of each scholar while at the same time building and maintaining a cohort experience. New or at risk scholars receive timely and intensive support both academically and personally from their mentors, peers, and other college resources. Transfer or work-ready scholars are eligible for a range of high impact and leadership activities in service learning or undergraduate research that give them a competitive edge upon transfer to college or work. The evaluation and assessment plan is rigorous, including both quantitative and qualitative elements. Formative findings allow the project team to be responsive to unforeseen issues, and summative findings provide a clear and deep understanding of the effectiveness of the project and its components in improving student success.
Broader Impacts The EdSTEM$ project team has included a specific objective of recruiting underrepresented and disabled applicants such that this population makes up 50% of the eligible scholarship applicant pool. The project team has enlisted the help of the directors of the MESA program and offices of Multicultural Affairs and Services for Students with Disabilities. All five area high schools are assisting the project team in recruiting diverse students and holding family nights at the high schools to provide information and assistance in completing the scholarship application. Assessment reports and focus groups serve as a basis for engaging the faculty and administration in discussions and actions affecting the curriculum and support services of the Science and Mathematics Division. Project findings further the STEM academic community's understanding of how to support low-income, underrepresented STEM students and are broadly disseminated through the project website and presentations at regional and national meetings.
