Developing an Evidence-Based Best-Practices Community for Supporting Low-Income High-Achieving Students in STEM Education and the Workforce

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Advancing our knowledge of evidence-based best practices for recruiting, retaining, mentoring, and supporting low-income, high-achieving STEM students is of strategic importance for the nation. The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program provides competitive awards to enable higher education institutions to provide scholarships to low-income, high achieving STEM students who have demonstrated financial need. S-STEM projects also advance the adaptation, implementation, and study of evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that promote the recruitment, retention, and graduation of low-income students in STEM fields. Although individual awardees advance efforts on their own campuses, it is important for the community to periodically engage in a robust exchange of ideas and knowledge. To that end, this project led by the American Association for the Advancement of Science will convene two S-STEM Symposia, one in 2019 and a second in 2021. The two Symposia will together provide at least 1300 participants with an opportunity to: (a) share and learn about effective STEM undergraduate education and workforce preparation strategies; (b) disseminate effective STEM undergraduate education and workforce preparation ideas to their colleagues and others; (c) make new connections and create collaborations; (d) promote a shared measurement system; (e) enhance communication; and (f) generate a sense of community among those seeking to expand academic opportunities for low-income STEM students.This project's activities will include: 1) producing publications that document effective strategies and practices for increasing the number of talented students with demonstrated financial need pursuing a STEM education and career workforce; 2) co-sponsoring and implementing webinars for the S-STEM community; and 3) developing and maintaining a website that includes information about the symposia, S-STEM projects, and resources to advance research on recruiting, retaining, mentoring, and supporting high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need.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.