Hope in the Heartland: The Carver Bridge to STEM Success Program

心中的希望：卡弗通往 STEM 成功的桥梁计划

• 批准号: 1458302
• 负责人: Heidi Berger
• 金额: $ 58.68万
• 依托单位: Simpson College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-06-15 至 2021-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1458302&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Hope; Heartland; Carver; Bridge; STEM

This NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project at Simpson College located in Indianola, Iowa will contribute to the national effort to produce more STEM graduates by establishing a cohort of 15 academically talented and Pell-eligible students. Scholars will receive academic support while they pursue degrees in actuarial science, computer science, mathematics, or physics. They will participate in a variety of enrichment activities such as (a) a one-week bridge program prior to their freshman year, (b) a mentored relationship with leaders from local industry, (c) a first semester computational modeling colloquium, (d) and a one-credit course on solving industry-generated problems provided by their mentors. Scholarships for academically strong STEM students, who may not otherwise be able to afford college, have an impact on the number of graduates prepared to help national, regional, and local companies.The project goals are well-defined and the methods outlined for achieving them are scaffolded to maximize student learning. Activities like Campus connect (a first year orientation for skill building, including early exposure to computational modelling and writing), the Simpson Colloquium (a course that builds on modelling skills with real-world problems), and the Bridge to Success course are grounded in the literature and should lead to high academic achievement and retention of the participants. The project will be evaluated on four criteria, Scholar GPA, participation in internships, first to second year retention, and placement in STEM graduate programs or careers upon graduation. The evaluator will gauge the evolution of the scholars' perception of STEM careers through the Views About Science Survey at the beginning and end of the project. Thus, project performance will be compared to national standards. Students will also be surveyed about all aspects of the project. Summative evaluation will rely on an analysis of the data in aggregate. Results will be disseminated internally via faculty development workshops. They will also be presented at appropriate regional venues including the Joint Mathematics Meeting and MathFest and at American Association of Physics Teachers, American Physical Society, Council on Undergraduate Research national meetings. This effort is expected to add to the knowledge base on development of recruitment and retention strategies for science and mathematics majors.

位于爱荷华州印第安诺拉辛普森学院的 NSF 科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金 (S-STEM) 项目将通过培养 15 名具有学术才华且符合佩尔资格的学生，为国家培养更多 STEM 毕业生做出贡献。 学者在攻读精算科学、计算机科学、数学或物理学学位时将获得学术支持。 他们将参加各种丰富活动，例如（a）大一前为期一周的桥梁课程，（b）与当地行业领导者的指导关系，（c）第一学期计算建模研讨会，（d）以及由导师提供的关于解决行业产生的问题的单学分课程。为学业成绩优秀的 STEM 学生提供的奖学金，这些学生可能无法负担大学费用，这对准备帮助国家、地区和当地公司的毕业生数量产生了影响。项目目标明确，并概述了实现这些目标的方法，以最大限度地提高学生的学习效果。 Campus connect（第一年的技能培养方向，包括早期接触计算建模和写作）、Simpson Colloquium（一门以现实世界问题建模技能为基础的课程）和“成功之桥”课程等活动均以文献为基础，应该会带来较高的学术成就并保留参与者。 该项目将根据四个标准进行评估：学者 GPA、参与实习、第一年到第二年的保留以及毕业后在 STEM 研究生课程或职业中的安置。 评估者将通过项目开始和结束时的“科学观点调查”来衡量学者们对 STEM 职业看法的演变。 因此，项目绩效将与国家标准进行比较。 学生还将接受有关该项目各个方面的调查。 总结性评估将依赖于对数据的总体分析。 结果将通过教师发展研讨会在内部传播。 他们还将在适当的区域场所进行展示，包括联合数学会议和数学节，以及美国物理教师协会、美国物理学会、本科生研究理事会全国会议。 这项工作预计将增加科学和数学专业招聘和保留策略制定的知识库。