Implementation Projects provide support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the number of students receiving undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and enhance the quality of their preparation by strengthen education and research. The project at Grambling State University seeks to build on previous successful efforts to increase participation of African-American students in STEM disciplines. The goal of the project is to implement a holistic approach to STEM education that will impact the retention and graduation rates of STEM undergraduate students, particularly in critical fields of mathematics, physics, and data analytics. The project will impact all STEM majors at the institution, but it directly supports forty-five students annually as researchers, peer tutors or academic coaches.
The project has the objectives to: implement a big data training program to support the expansion of the education STEM students receive in data analytics; restructure the mathematics and physics curriculum; enhance the soft skills of STEM students, such as resume writing, preparing for interviews, and communications skills; and implement a research study that examines the interventions and develops a model that can be replicated by other institutions. Each objective is supported by a set of evidence-based strategies and activities, some of which will be studied for effectiveness in the setting of this university. The project will be advised and evaluated for effectiveness by internal and external advisory boards and by an evaluator.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
