Expanding Career and Educational Learning in Information Technology (EXCEL-IT)

扩展信息技术的职业和教育学习（EXCEL-IT）项目将经济援助与咨询和支持服务结合起来，为绿河社区学院那些正在攻读信息技术应用副学士学位和学士学位的低收入和服务不足的学生提供帮助。EXCEL-IT将在2014-2017年期间颁发至少89个奖学金，并通过在K-12学区的推广和同步招生，改善学生在国家重要领域的IT专业人士的职业机会。项目毕业生不仅能比外国劳工更经济地满足雇主的劳动力需求，而且这样的职业也能减少对政府补贴的依赖，并使毕业生成为负责任的公民和纳税人。该项目的技术优点在于，它采用协调一致的方法，通过提供建议、量身定制的支持服务和基于群体的活动来提高学生的保留率和毕业率。此外，该项目还培养了一批受过良好教育和技术熟练的毕业生，他们正在增加计算机科学和信息技术专业的视角和背景的广度。此外，该项目正在推进对通过社区大学获得四年制学位如何有效地拓宽低收入和代表性不足的学生进入STEM职业的科学理解。相关数据和确定的最佳实践正在通过专业协会和外部合作伙伴共享，其中包括一个全州IT劳动力机构和一个区域ATE中心，从而为有关本科STEM教育企业的更大知识库做出贡献。

The Expanding Career and Education Learning in Information Technology (EXCEL-IT) project combines financial aid with advising and support services to low-income and under-served students at Green River Community College who are pursuing Applied Associate's and Bachelor's degrees in Information Technology. EXCEL-IT is awarding a minimum of 89 scholarships from 2014-2017 and is improving student access to careers as IT professionals in an area of high national importance via outreach and concurrent enrollment in K-12 school districts. Not only can project graduates meet employers' workforce needs more economically than foreign labor, but such careers deter reliance on government subsidies and empower graduates to be responsible citizens and taxpayers. The technical merit of the project lies in its coordinated approach to increasing student retention and graduation rates through advising, tailored support services, and cohort-based activities. In addition, the project is producing a diverse body of well-educated and skilled graduates who are increasing the breadth of perspectives and backgrounds in the Computer Science and Information Technology profession. Moreover, the project is advancing scientific understanding of how four-year degrees pursued and obtained through community colleges can effectively broaden access to STEM careers for low-income and under-represented students. Relevant data and identified best practices are being shared through professional associations and external partners, which include a statewide IT workforce agency and a regional ATE Center, thus contributing to the larger knowledge-base about the undergraduate STEM education enterprise.