In response to local workforce needs, Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) is recruiting eighty-five financially needy, high achieving students into the STEM disciplines. There is a special emphasis on recruiting area underrepresented students. To this aim, recruiting materials are available in English, Spanish and Creole. Recruiting objectives are 58% underrepresented minority students, 45% female students, and 30% nontraditional students in that they returned to school 24 months after graduating high school. Students can either obtain an A.S. degree intending to enter the workforce, or enter a B.S. degree program with Florida Atlantic University (FAU). If transferring, project participants receive S-STEM scholarship funds for their third year of studies at FAU, and FAU scholarship funds for their fourth year. Student support systems include student orientation, weekly online chat sessions, peer mentoring, biotechnology and environmental internships, student success seminars; PBCC faculty plan to travel to the FAU campus for the purpose of continued mentoring of transfer students. Retention and placement targets are that 90% of the S-STEM scholars complete the two-year program in which they enroll, and 90% of these graduating student are employed or enrolled in a four year program related to their discipline within 12 months of graduation.
