Combining Academic Support and Service Learning to Support Success of Undergraduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields

美国国家科学基金会科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金（S-STEM）计划支持攻读STEM学位的高成就低收入学生的保留和毕业。在这个项目中，洛拉斯学院每年将向有经济需要的优秀学生颁发高达10,000美元的奖学金。该奖项最多可更新三次，学院预计在项目的五年内支持两组9-10名学生。为了支持学生的成功，首席研究员（PI）团队将协调一套学术支持服务以及基于社区的服务学习机会。通过将这些机会纳入其课程，洛拉斯学院寻求帮助爱荷华州南部，以及更广泛的国家，招收和毕业更多的STEM学生。这些毕业生可以为关键的地区和国家劳动力需求做出贡献。该项目旨在为考虑攻读STEM学位的学生提供财务、学术、职业规划和社会支持，同时创建队列模式和社区学习机会。该项目的双重教学方法（学术支持服务和社区学习模式）在其他机构已被证明是成功的。然而，该项目在实施和评估这种方法组合方面具有创新性。奖学金获得者将参加一系列一学分的课程，旨在培养他们的科学身份。通过这些课程，学生将参与支持两个关键转变的活动：从高中到大学和从大学到劳动力。学术支持将包括由专职教师指导、同伴支持和学业成功技能培训，如时间管理、考试策略和学习方法。该项目还将通过专业活动、共享社区活动和桥梁活动提供社会支持。最后，调查人员将组织当地工业参观，并组织以社区为基础的研究和设计项目。该计划的有效性将通过调查和定量数据进行评估。教育资源和研究成果将通过区域和国家出版物，在专业会议上的演讲，以及向美国国家科学基金会和学院提交的年度报告来传播。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program supports the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students pursuing STEM degrees. In this project, Loras College will award scholarships of up to $10,000 per year to high-achieving students with demonstrated financial need. The awards are renewable up to three times and the college anticipates supporting two groups of 9-10 students throughout the five years of the project. To support student success, the principal investigator (PI) team will coordinate a suite of academic support services together with community-based service learning opportunities. By building such opportunities into its curriculum, Loras College seeks to help southern Iowa, and the Nation more broadly, recruit and graduate additional STEM students. These graduates can contribute to critical regional and national workforce demands. The project aims to provide financial, academic, career planning, and social support for students considering STEM degrees, in concert with creating a cohort model and community-based learning opportunities. The project's twin pedagogical approaches (academic support services and the community-based learning model) have proven successful at other institutions. However, this project is innovative in implementing and assessing this combination of approaches. Scholarship recipients will enroll in a series of one-credit courses designed to develop their scientific identities. Through these courses, students will participate in activities to support two critical transitions: from high-school to college and from college into the workforce. Academic support will include mentoring by engaged faculty, peer support, and training in academic success skills, such as time management, test taking strategies, and studying approaches. The project will also provide social support through professional events, shared community events, and bridging activities. Finally, the investigators will organize tours of local industry and group community-based research and design projects. Effectiveness of this program will be evaluated using survey and quantitative data. The educational resources and research results will be disseminated through regional and national publications, in presentations at professional meetings, and at annual reports to NSF and the college.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.