This project is increasing STEM graduation rates through targeted recruitment of two distinct audiences. The first audience is high school students who are dual-enrolled in community college courses as they are completing the requirements for a high school diploma. Students in this group are being counseled to enroll in sufficient STEM courses during their high school years such that they receive an Associate Degree along with their high school diploma. Upon graduation, they are being encouraged to pursue a STEM bachelor's degree. The second audience that is being targeted through this project is recent veterans or soon-to-be veterans from the armed forces. Capitalizing on the significant improvements in the GI bill, veterans who have expressed an interest in STEM careers are being targeted for enrollment in STEM programs. The students who are participating in the program are being supported by a number of measures shown to increase student persistence in STEM fields. Undergraduate research opportunities, seminars with practicing professionals, and meaningful career counseling are all project components designed to retain students and to prepare them for careers in STEM. A math-readiness summer experience is also being conducted for promising STEM students who may need extra support before they begin their university studies. The results from this project are being rigorously assessed through a variety of formative and summative measures.
