Engineering Scholars Program: Fostering the Next Generation of STEM Leaders

HBCU下属的草原农工大学的“S科学、技术、工程和数学项目国家科学基金奖学金”项目将为攻读工程、计算机科学或技术学士学位的有才华的低收入学生提供经济、学术和职业方面的需求。该项目将直接资助30名学生，一组15名学生从一年级开始，第二组15名学生从二年级开始。奖学金将帮助减轻许多少数族裔学生面临的经济负担，有针对性的支持结构将有助于确保学生取得成功。将采用多管齐下的战略，包括队列建设、学术支持、专业发展、辅导和学生个人咨询团队，以改善学生的学习，提高保留率和毕业率。该项目与美国国家科学基金会S-STEM项目的目标一致，将有助于该大学和全国努力增加获得STEM学位的少数族裔学生的数量，从而支持更多元化和更有能力的美国劳动力。该项目的一个基本目标是增加STEM领域毕业的未被充分代表的少数族裔学生的数量，并加强这些学生为STEM不同的职业道路和研究生教育做好准备。调查学生动机、自我效能感和STEM身份发展的研究将是该项目不可或缺的组成部分。这项研究将采用解释性叙事设计，并将涉及以项目参与者的活动和经历为重点的定性研究。调查结果将为成功帮助少数族裔学生走上工程学和其他STEM职业道路并在这些职业中蓬勃发展的干预措施提供见解。使用定量和定性混合方法的评估计划将衡量该计划的有效性及其对学生表现、毕业和留住努力的影响。该项目将产生切实的数据和结果，支持招聘、留住和劳动力多样化，并扩大针对这一学生群体的参与努力。该项目的主要成果将通过各种场所广泛传播。

This "NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM)" project at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), an HBCU, will serve the financial, academic, and career needs of talented low income students pursuing bachelor degrees in engineering, computer science, or technology. The project will directly support 30 students with one cohort of 15 students beginning in year 1 and a second cohort of 15 students beginning in year 2. Scholarships will help ease the financial burdens that many minority students face, and targeted support structures will help ensure student success. A multi-pronged strategy consisting of cohort building, academic support, professional development, mentoring, and individual advisory teams for students will be used improve student learning and increase retention and graduation rates. Congruent with NSF S-STEM program goals, the project will add to the University's and national efforts to increase the number of minority students graduating with STEM degrees thus supporting a more diverse and competent United States workforce.A fundamental goal of the project is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who graduate with undergraduate degrees in STEM fields and to enhance the preparedness of these students for diverse STEM workforce career paths and graduate education. A research study examining student motivation, self-efficacy, and STEM identity development will be an integral component of the project. The research will utilize an interpretive narrative design and will involve qualitative studies focusing on the activities and experiences of program participants. Findings will provide insights into interventions that are successful in helping minority students navigate the path to engineering and other STEM careers and flourish in those careers. An evaluation plan using a mixed quantitative and qualitative methods approach will measure the effectiveness of the program and its impact on student performance and graduation and retention efforts. Tangible data and results will be generated from the project that support recruitment, retention, and workforce diversification and broadening participation efforts for this student demographic. Key outcomes of the project will be broadly disseminated through a variety of venues.