The purpose of this proposal is to plan a systematic and comprehensive program to increase the number and quality of minority students entering and progressing through the educational pipeline in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. The goals of this comprehensive program will be achieved by establishing an alliance between institutions with a strong track record of producing hispanic scientists, engineers and science and engineering educators, and which have successful experience in implementing large scale science education and research programs in Puerto Rico. The University of Puerto Rico, through the Resource Center for Science and Engineering (RCSE), the Ana G. Mendez Educational Foundation (The Universidad Metorplitana), other two-and four year postsecondary institutions in Puerto Rico and on the mainland, and major Department of Energy National Laboratories, will join to form a broad-based Alliance to: pool and build on the resources of these institutions; and provide students and faculty with a wide range of activities designed to increase the number of students that complete an undergraduate degree and continue graduate studies in the natural sciences and engineering. The activities proposed within this Alliance will focus on motivating and preparing students, particularly at the undergraduate level. In addition, the activities will broaden their awareness of career and study opportunities in the sciences and engineering in order to facilitate their progress through critical transition points in their academic development: the high school to college and undergraduate to graduate studies transitions in the education continuum. Through the development of a broad base Alliance, the participating institutions will share their strengths and optimize resources in order to bring about a broad and significant improvement in the infrastructure of science education for Hispanics in general.
