Metropolitan Mentors Network (MMNet): Growing an Urban STEM Talent Pool across New York City

该项目的核心理念是利用城市环境中多所大学和行业合作伙伴的紧密联系，培养以城市技术为中心的导师和机会网络，目标是每年增加66名获得科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)副学士学位的学生数量。该学院的地理位置和纽约城市大学内的地理位置，使那些只需乘坐地铁就能到达的CUNY研究生成为城市理工大学STEM本科生的榜样。同样，城市技术学院的学生可以接触到大学和城市的大量资源。通过与现有努力的协调，Metronet正在建立从高中到副学士学位再到就业或研究生教育的标记良好的路径，并正在提供学术、社会和经济支持的安全网。项目活动旨在支持职业认同感的发展，促进专业社区的成员资格，并克服成功的障碍，贯穿于学生进入学院的整个入学过程，从新生入学前的暑期体验到学位授予：1.设计两门学分课程，一门是科学和数学，另一门是工程技术，以大一之前的暑期体验形式提供，通过理论和实践经验相结合的方式提供学术准备。这些课程以实验室技术开发、沟通、团队合作和创造性思维技能为特色，提供职业信息，包括前往当地行业和政府实验室的旅行。其中一个目标是在学生和他们申报的专业之间创造更好的契合度，最大限度地减少因换专业而产生的非缴费学分和因幻想破灭而导致的高辍学率。2.在与一系列研讨会有关的英语作文和STEM教学助理对本科生的辅导等必修的通识教育课程中，对暑期班的学生进行学年整体规划。这些助教依次接受城市理工学院经验丰富的教师在课堂管理、学习成果开发和学习评估方面的指导。3.通过研究和职业导向活动，促进学生在校园内的参与和对学术的关注。以学生研究为特色的年度海报会议增加了STEM活动在校园内的可见度。学生们可以在科学博物馆进行暑期实习，并提供研究和就业机会。4.正在为工程技术专业的学生开设电信和计算机工程技术方面的Capstone高级设计课程。5.使用一个项目网站来传播制定的课程评估结果和学生工作。该项目探索开发和实施一种新的模式，通过重组成功的留校和招生战略来提高毕业率，以满足城市通勤公立大学学生的特定需求。Metronet的更广泛影响包括其重点是将学习从科学、数学和文科课程转移到技术、计算机系统和工程应用，在这些领域中，基本的学习原理被应用到现实世界的问题中。由于该学院的人口结构，该项目促进了STEM专业中代表性不足的少数族裔的参与。

The central rationale of this project is to leverage the close proximity of multiple colleges and industry partners in the urban setting to cultivate a network of mentors and opportunities centered on City Tech, with the goal of increasing by 66 per year the number of students receiving associate and bachelor's degrees within science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The college's location, both geographically and within the City University of New York, enables CUNY graduate students who are only a subway ride away to become role models for STEM undergraduates at City Tech. In the same way, City Tech students can reach the vast resources of the University and the City. Through coordination with existing efforts, MetroNet is establishing well marked pathways from high school through the associate and bachelor's degrees to employment or graduate education, and is providing a safety net of academic, social, and economic supports. Project activities, designed to support the development of a professional identity, promote membership in a professional community, and counter obstacles to success, extend throughout the students' enrollment in the college, from a pre-freshman summer experience to the awarding of the degree: 1. Design of two credit-bearing courses, one in the sciences and math, the other in engineering technologies, offered in a pre-freshman summer experience, to provide academic preparation through a combination of theory and hands-on experience. Featuring development of laboratory techniques, communication, teamwork, and creative thinking skills, these courses offer career information, including trips to local industries and government labs. One goal is to create a better fit between the students and their declared majors, minimizing noncontributory credits from changing majors and high dropout rates due to disenchantment. 2. Academic year block programming of the summer cohort in required general education courses such as English Composition linked to a seminar series and mentoring of undergraduates by teaching assistants in STEM. These teaching assistants in turn receive mentoring by experienced faculty at City Tech on classroom management, development of learning outcomes, and learning assessment. 3. Promotion of student involvement on campus and academic focus through research and career oriented activities. An annual poster session featuring student research increases the visibility of STEM activities on campus. Summer internships at science museums, along with research and employment opportunities are available to the students. 4. Capstone Senior Design courses in Telecommunications and Computer Engineering Technologies are being developed for students in engineering technology. 5. A project website is used to disseminate developed curriculum assessment results and student work. The project explores development and implementation of a new model to improve graduation rates by retooling successful retention and recruitment strategies to address the specific needs of students at an urban, commuter public college. The broader impact of MetroNet includes its focus on the transfer of learning from the sciences, mathematics and liberal arts courses to technology, computer systems and engineering applications where fundamental learned principles are applied to real-world problems. Because of the demographics of the college, the project promotes the participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM majors.