I-Corps L: CyberMentoring Network (CMN) for Broadening the Participation of Underrepresented Students in STEM

通过美国国家科学基金会创新学习团计划（I-Corps L），该项目将开发增加网络辅导网络规模和影响的方法。该网络将提供一套创新的基于网络和移动的工具，以解决STEM学生的准备、保留和毕业问题。网络辅导网络是专门针对没有正式网络来根据学生的具体需求指导学生的情况而调整的。扩大传统上在STEM中代表性不足的群体的个人参与的关键之一是为学生提供随时可用的信息，这些信息对于做出明智的决策至关重要，并帮助高等教育机构识别、招募、指导、留住和安置未来的STEM学生。通过为学生提供资源和接触STEM领域从业者导师的机会，学生将能够更好地了解他们的课程对他们职业生涯的适用性。此外，网络辅导网络将影响学生的社会网络，STEM领域工作的社会资本，以及他们为研究生和专业学校做准备。网络辅导网络将首先在少数族裔服务机构实施。网络辅导网络将有助于扩大STEM中代表性不足群体的个人参与，从而有助于加强STEM劳动力。一年级学生在从高中过渡到STEM专业的高等教育机构时往往会遇到最大的困难。这些学生往往会落后，因为他们可能没有为大学STEM课程做好充分准备，或者因为他们可能会被学科领域和/或项目的快节奏吓倒。网络辅导网络将利用基于网络和移动的工具来满足STEM学生的需求。这些工具旨在指导和授权少数民族和代表性不足的学生获取、研究、组织、跟踪和实现他们的职业选择。网络辅导网络为学生提供了一种方便的方式，可以在任何地理位置与同行和STEM导师（教育工作者和从业者）进行交流和互动，创建支持网络，并获取有关STEM职业的信息。

Through the NSF Innovation Corps for Learning Program (I-Corps L), this project will develop ways to increase the scale and impact of the CyberMentoring Network. This network will provide a suite of innovative web-based and mobile tools to address the preparation, retention, and graduation of STEM students. The CyberMentoring Network is specifically adapted for cases in which there are no formal networks in place to mentor students based on their specific needs. One of the keys to broadening participation of individuals from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in STEM is to provide students with readily available information essential to making informed decisions and to assist institutions of higher education identify, recruit, mentor, retain, and place prospective STEM students. By offering students resources and access to mentors who are practitioners in the STEM field, students will be better able to understand the applicability of their coursework to their professional career. Furthermore, the CyberMentoring Network will impact students' social networks, social capital for work in STEM fields, and their preparation for graduate and professional school. Implementation of the CyberMentoring Network will be initially in minority serving institutions. The CyberMentoring Network will be instrumental in broadening the participation of individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM and thus, contribute to the strengthening of the STEM workforce. First-year students tend to experience the most difficulties in transitioning from high school to higher education institutions with STEM majors. These students tend to fall behind because they may not be well prepared for college STEM courses or because they may feel intimidated by the subject areas and/or fast-pace of the programs. The CyberMentoring Network will utilize web-based and mobile tools tailored to the needs of STEM students. These tools are designed to mentor and empower minority and underrepresented students to access, research, organize, track, and realize their career options. CyberMentoring Network provides students with an easy way to communicate and interact from any geographic location with peers and STEM mentors (both educators and practitioners), create a support network, and access information about STEM careers.