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

在招聘、留住、指导和支持低收入、成绩优异的STEM学生方面，提高我们对循证最佳实践的认识，对国家具有战略意义。美国国家科学基金会科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金（S-STEM）项目提供有竞争力的奖学金，使高等教育机构能够向低收入、成绩优异、有经济需求的STEM学生提供奖学金。S-STEM项目还推动循证课程和课外活动的适应、实施和研究，促进STEM领域低收入学生的招聘、保留和毕业。虽然个别获奖者在他们自己的校园里做出了努力，但对社区来说，定期参与思想和知识的有力交流是很重要的。为此，由美国科学促进会（American Association for the Advancement of Science）领导的这个项目将召开两次S-STEM研讨会，一次在2019年，另一次在2021年。两场研讨会将为至少1300名与会者提供以下机会：(a)分享和学习有效的STEM本科教育和劳动力准备策略；(b)向同事和其他人传播有效的STEM本科教育和劳动力准备理念；(c)建立新的联系并创造合作；(d)促进共享测量系统；(e)加强沟通；(f)在那些寻求扩大低收入STEM学生学习机会的人中产生社区意识。该项目的活动将包括：1)制作出版物，记录有效的策略和实践，以增加有经济需求的有才华的学生追求STEM教育和职业劳动力的数量；2)共同发起和实施S-STEM社区的网络研讨会；3)开发和维护一个网站，其中包括有关专题讨论会、S-STEM项目和资源的信息，以推进有关招聘、保留、指导和支持有经济需求的高成就低收入学生的研究。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。

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.