Enhancing the Quality of STEM Education and Retention @MVSU through Mentoring and Student Professional Development

“通过指导策略和学生专业发展提高mvsu STEM教育质量和留用率”项目旨在实施指导策略和学生专业发展活动，以影响密西西比河谷州立大学大一至大二期间越来越多的STEM专业学生外流。该项目旨在帮助代表性不足的学生，这些学生往往有许多困难，使他们无法上大学，无法全身心地投入到学业中。该项目将通过加强学术技能和支持结构，进一步改善STEM项目的基础设施和质量。该项目的具体组成部分是：1)建立STEM师徒模式，以提高教育质量，影响大一至大二期间离开STEM专业的学生数量；2)教师/学生研究团队，增加教师和学生参与合作研究的机会；3)教师教育诊所，通过加强初高中教师的内容知识和教学技能，提高K-12学生的科学和数学技能；4)在课程中注入计算机安全概念，以创建和建立一个基础设施，支持它作为本科生可行的研究选择。这个项目很重要，因为不成比例的学生在进入大学时对STEM学科的准备不足。这种现象部分归因于K-12学校系统中教师的准备和技能水平。这个项目的地理区域是密西西比三角洲，那里有26%的非裔美国人居住。项目活动旨在为追求STEM学位的学术天才学生提供更好的教育体验和机会，并为他们进入研究生院和工作做好准备。

The "Enhancing the Quality of STEM Education and Retention @MVSU through Mentoring Strategies and Student Professional Development" project seeks to implement mentoring strategies and student professional development activities to affect the growing exodus of students from STEM majors between the freshmen and sophomore years at Mississippi Valley State University. The project seeks to assist underrepresented students who often have numerous difficulties which deter them from attending college and being totally dedicated to academics. The project will further improve the infrastructure and quality of the STEM programs by strengthening the academic skills and support structures. Specific components of the project are: 1) a STEM mentoring model to enhance the quality of education to affect the number of students leaving STEM majors between the freshmen and sophomore year; 2) faculty/student research teams to increase opportunities for faculty and students to engage in collaborative research; 3) a teacher education clinic to enhance the science and mathematics skills of K-12 students by strengthening the content knowledge and the pedagogical skills of middle and high school teachers; and 4)infusion of computer security concepts into the curriculum to create and build an infrastructure which supports it as a viable research option for undergraduates.This project is important because a disproportionate number of students arrive at the University with poor preparation for the STEM disciplines. This phenomenon is partially attributable to the preparation and skill level of teachers in the K-12 school system. The geographic region targeted for this project is the Mississippi Delta where 26 percent of all African Americans in Mississippi reside. Program activities are designed to provide improved educational experiences and opportunities for academically talented students who are pursuing STEM degrees, and to prepare them for graduate school and the workforce.