This NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project supports the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Canada College in California. The project aims to award a total of 128 scholarships (of $4,000 to $5,000 each) over 5 years to 49 unique science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students as they progress through academic requirements for an associate degree and transfer to a four-year institution for a baccalaureate degree in a STEM major. Because community colleges are the entry point to higher education for many low income and demographic groups that are underrepresented in STEM careers, by increasing the success and transfer rates of these students, the diversity and number of professionals in STEM fields nationwide can be increased.
Scholarship recipients will participate in academic and extracurricular activities that are designed to help them succeed in their academic career. These activities include 1) academic bridge programs in physics and chemistry; 2) Embedded Peer Instruction Cohort (EPIC) sessions; 3) university visits; 4) seminars by STEM professionals; and 5) internships. Student cohorts will be grouped by discipline and will include students at various steps along their path to a STEM career. Project activities have been shown to reliably boost academic achievement; however, a major challenge is to recruit student participation. A good mentoring relationship can motivate and empower students, as well as provide advice on academic and professional career options. In this project, faculty mentors and a Retention Specialist will provide consistent, frequent guidance to each scholar on academic and extracurricular resources and priorities. The impact of financial aid in combination with intensive case management by a Retention Specialist and a network of faculty mentors will be examined and evaluated using measurements of student success and retention, persistence in STEM, completion of a STEM degree, and successful transfer into a STEM major at a 4-year university.
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.
