Undergraduate Catalytic Outreach and Research Experience

通过在俄勒冈州高中、社区学院和大学之间建立无缝过渡，该项目正在建立一个模式，以提高不同教育水平学生的招生、转学和保留率，最终获得STEM学士学位。关键要素包括：早期识别对STEM领域感兴趣的社区学院和大学学生；夏季提供为期一周的集训营和为期10周的研究项目；以及教育拓展、同伴辅导、学术和职业道路指导方面的培训。在这些活动之后，学生在下一学年在研究生和教师导师的监督下，在他们的家乡机构（社区学院和大学）担任同伴导师。该项目的智力价值在于让学生沉浸在早期的研究经历中——特别关注来自不同、非传统背景的社区大学学生——以提高与物理科学相关的转学副学士学位的完成率，并增加转学到四年制大学并完成这些领域学士学位的人数。它还测试了社区大学和高中的催化同伴和近同伴指导和辅导模式，以增加对物理科学和相关职业的兴趣。该项目更广泛的影响体现在它以社区学院为目标，这些学院拥有该州最多样化的高等教育学生群体。通过该项目的设计，来自不同背景的学生能够指导、指导和鼓励他们的同龄人成功完成课程并进入物理科学职业。该项目的评估为该州的教育和政治领导提供了有价值和必要的数据，因为它试图改善高中，社区大学和四年制大学之间的过渡。

By creating a seamless transition between Oregon high schools, community colleges, and universities, this project is establishing a model for improving the recruitment, transfer, and retention rates of students along that spectrum of educational levels, eventually leading to baccalaureate STEM degrees. Key elements include: early identification of community college and university students with interest in STEM fields; provision of intensive week-long camps and 10-week research projects in the summer; and training in education outreach, peer-led tutoring, academic and career-path mentoring. Following these activities students serve as peer tutors at their home institutions (both community colleges and universities) during the next academic year under the supervision of graduate student and faculty mentors. The intellectual merit of the project lies in the immersion of students in early research experiences - with a special focus on community college students from diverse, non-traditional backgrounds - in order to improve completion rates of physical sciences-related transfer associate degrees, and to boost the numbers who transfer to four-year institutions and complete baccalaureate degrees in these areas. It also tests models for catalytic peer- and near-peer mentoring and tutoring at community colleges and high schools to increase interest in physical sciences and related careers. The project's broader impacts are felt in its targeting of community colleges that have the most diverse group of students engaged in post-secondary education in the state. Through the project's design students from diverse backgrounds are able to mentor, tutor, and otherwise encourage their peers to successfully complete coursework and move into physical sciences careers. Evaluation of the project is providing valuable and needed data to the educational and political leadership in the state as it seeks to improving transitions between high school, community college and four-year institutions.