Promoting STEM Research to College Freshmen and Sophomores

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This project is partially supporting the Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research (SCCUR). This annual event attracts a large diverse group of students and faculty from four-year institutions, two-year colleges, and some high schools for oral and poster presentations highlighting research and scholarly activity performed by undergraduate students. NSF support is reducing the registration fee for all students, providing free registration for up to 60 financially disadvantaged students, supporting evaluative activities, and providing a follow-up workshop for a group of faculty attending the event who are interested in writing proposals to improve student success and retention in STEM. Participation at the conference is expected to encourage groups of STEM faculty from 2- and 4-year institutions to pursue establishing partnerships for undergraduate research and other collaborative projects to help more students succeed in STEM at their institutions. SCCUR is one of the largest broadly multidisciplinary regional conferences in the United States. The SCCUR's first appearance at a community college in 2011 represents a unique opportunity for outreach to the public, to pre-college students capable of succeeding in STEM fields, and to underrepresented minority communities (Mt. SAC is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution). This conference engages the public about the innovative science and technology research that students in Southern California perform, and makes parents and families aware of the opportunities for young people in postsecondary STEM education.