Canisius Science Scholars: Providing an Integrated Academic and Social Support Scaffolding in the Biological Sciences

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The S-STEM project at Canisius College will help academically-talented, financially-needy Biology, Environmental Science, and Animal Behavior, Ecology and Conservation (ABEC) majors make the transition from science students to scientists. The Canisius Science Scholars program will improve recruitment, retention, graduation rates, and entry into STEM careers for both traditional and transfer students pursuing undergraduate degrees in the biological sciences at Canisius College. To achieve these goals, the S-STEM scholarship recipients will participate in a biology-based learning community. Students will benefit from shared courses that help build skills and establish commitment to STEM fields; special events that they help plan; access to scientists who serve as advisors, models, teachers, and mentors; and opportunities to socialize and celebrate their academic and career-focused accomplishments. The success of the learning community and its components will be presented at STEM, social science, and/or educational conferences and will be shared broadly to provide wider application of successful initiatives to STEM education.The goals of the Canisius Science Scholars program are: 1) to recruit and retain additional students in the biological sciences, especially seeking to provide aid to those that transfer from other institutions, 2) build an active learning community across these students' course of studies, 3) increase the focus on assisting transfer students to adapt to the increased expectations of a 4-year biological sciences program, and 4) provide all these students with the necessary skills to enter the work-force directly or to prepare for graduate school. This program will increase student support systems and educational opportunities through enhanced academic support, career counseling, a transfer initiative including academic support and mentoring, seminar courses that provide professional skills and scientific training, and conference travel. Students will learn to be scientists through a variety of activities that encourage them to think critically about science, including involvement in research with faculty and critiquing scientific publications and presentations. As part of the program. Successful/impactful program components will be permanently incorporated into the curriculum, making them available to all future students. The presentation of the resulting scholarship on campus, at discipline-specific conferences, and in appropriate science education journals will allow others to incorporate successful individual program components into their own programs