Students - Support Through Academic Resources and Services (S-STARS)

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Students-Support Through Academic Resources and Services (S-STARS) addresses the critical need for STEM workers in Florida where industries serve national interests in aerospace technology, cybersecurity, biotech research and development, and preservation of natural resources. S-STARS will provide 82 scholarships to students pursing Associate degrees in STEM fields and an additional 22 scholarships to students with associate degrees that subsequently pursue baccalaureate degrees in STEM fields over the five-year project. Student success will be supported through multiple interventions. Faculty mentors will be assigned to each scholar, and professional staff advisors will provide intensive academic advising. Internships in local industries will enable students to directly explore career related to their fields of study. Student cohorts will create a shared experience opportunities for peer-to-peer support. Targeted use of digital communication and social media tools will ensure student access to important information and encourage their continued engagement with faculty, advisors, and other students throughout the program. With an average student body age of 27 years, the large non-traditional population at Daytona State College has the potential to add to the STEM workforce a pool of students with more life experience than traditional undergraduate students.The goals of S-STARS are three-fold. The project focuses on increased retention, student success (as measured by GPA, time to completion, rates of job placement), and completion (as measured by graduation and/or transfer) of low-income, academically talented students in STEM fields. The project implements, studies, and adapts the use of effective evidence-based practices to enhance success among participants. In addition, S-STARS contributes to broader understanding of how strategically selected and combined curricular and co-curricular supports can be used effectively in the community college setting among a diverse population of low-income students. S-STARS scholars are expected to experience higher rates of retention, program completion, transfer to additional post-secondary study, and/or job placement in comparison to students not participating in S-STARS. The project builds upon existing collaborations with other institutions in the Florida College System. Project outcomes will be shared with those institutions as well as the Florida Advanced Technical Education Engineering and Technology Forum and through presentations at the American Association of Community Colleges annual conference and other STEM-related professional meetings.