SFAz+8: Building Capacity for STEM Pathways in Rural Arizona

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With funding from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Program, the project addresses the national need for technicians in established and emerging advanced technological fields. Aligned with the state's strategic vision for community colleges, Science Foundation of Arizona (SFAz) and eight rural community colleges will establish a Rural Community College STEM Network to enhance institutional partnerships; facilitate the adaptation, implementation, and testing of the STEM Pathway Model, a suite of effective curricular and student support activities; and accelerate the delivery and implementation of the model. The project's objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of expanding and replicating key success factors of the STEM Pathway Model that have been piloted at one of the community colleges. A partnership composed of members representing industry, the secondary and post-secondary education communities, and state organizations will direct the effort, which will meet the technical and engineering oriented workforce needs of the state. The project will (1) expand awareness of STEM careers through student engagement; (2) ensure that high school students in rural school districts place in college-level mathematics courses and graduate from high school with college credits (ensuring college readiness); and (3) increase the number of students who enter and successfully complete STEM technician and engineering degree or credentialing programs at these rural community colleges, transfer to four year technical or engineering programs, and/or enter the STEM workforce. Project deliverables will include a technology-based resource guide and information platform that will assist the participating colleges in identifying and deploying best and promising practices (e.g., suite of effective curricular and student support activities), build a network of rural community colleges to support deployment of these practices, develop comprehensive pathways from awareness of careers in STEM to completion of degrees and/or credentials, and prepare students to enter the STEM workforce. Implementing a common suite of methods from document analysis of student records and surveys to interviews and focus groups, the quantitative and qualitative mixed methods evaluation will assess project outcomes (e.g., college credits earned in high school, enrollment in technician progams and completion data, student experiences, and success of the SFAz+8 network). The participating rural community colleges are:* Arizona Western College* Central Arizona College* Cochise College* Coconino Community College* Eastern Arizona College* Mohave Community College* Northland Pioneer College* Yavapai College