Future Tech Scholars: An Information Systems Technology Scholarship Program

该项目将通过支持俄亥俄州中部哥伦布州立社区学院（Columbus State Community College）表现出经济需求的优秀低收入家庭学生的留校和毕业，满足全国对受过良好教育的科学家、数学家、工程师和技术人员的需求。在为期六年的时间里，该项目将建立未来技术学者计划，为90名攻读信息科学技术（IST）副学士学位的独特全日制和非全日制学生提供奖学金。这些学生将获得最多两年的奖学金。未来科技学者项目将遵循三个目标。首先是增加低收入、有学术天赋的学生的招生、保留、结业和转学/就业。第二步是招募和招收90名不同的学生。第三是促进基于证据的课程和课外支持策略的评估、实施和可持续性，从而提高学生的成功。该项目将为低收入有志STEM学生制定和传播有助于学业成功和专业准备的支持策略信息。对学者的密集支持将增加IST主要项目的完成，培养高素质的专业人员，准备进入俄亥俄州中部的技术劳动力或转移到四年制大学。急需培养合格的IST技术人员，并为服务不足的学生提供支持服务。科技行业对俄亥俄州中部地区的经济健康做出了巨大贡献，该地区对招收毕业生产生了浓厚的兴趣，这些学生将具备进入劳动力市场或转入四年制学位课程所需的技能。通过鼓励保留和完成的密集学生支持服务，未来技术学者计划将填补合格的IST技术人员的空白。该项目将与一个全面的计划一起进行，以收集证据并评估关于未来技术学者计划对学生成绩、坚持和完成的影响的主张。该项目将向当地、全州和全国的受众传播最佳实践、项目活动、出版物和研究成果。该项目由美国国家科学基金会的科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金项目资助，旨在增加有经济需求的低收入学术天才学生在STEM领域获得学位的人数。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并为低收入学生提供有关学业成功、留校、转学、毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。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。

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Columbus State Community College in central Ohio. Over its six-year duration, this project will establish the Future Tech Scholars program to fund scholarships for 90 unique full-time and part-time students who are pursuing associate degrees in Information Science Technology (IST). These students will receive scholarships for up to two years. Three goals will guide the Future Tech Scholars program. First is to increase the recruitment, retention, completion, and transfer/employment of low-income, academically talented students. Second is to recruit and enroll a diverse group of 90 students into the program. Third is to contribute to the assessment, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based curricular and co-curricular support strategies that lead to increased student success. The project will develop and disseminate information on support strategies that contribute to academic success and professional preparation for low-income aspiring STEM students. Intensive supports for scholars will increase completion of IST major programs producing highly qualified professionals ready to enter the central Ohio technology workforce or transfer to a four-year institution. There is a great need to produce qualified IST technicians and provide support services to underserved students. The technology sector is a strong contributor to the economic health of the central Ohio region, which establishes a strong interest in recruiting students that will graduate with the skills needed to enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year degree program. Through intense student support services that encourage retention and completion, the Future Tech Scholars program will fill the gap of qualified IST technicians. The project will be carried out with a comprehensive plan to collect evidence and evaluate the claims regarding the impact of the Future Tech Scholars program on student performance, persistence, and completion. The project will disseminate best practices, project activities, publications, and research findings to audiences locally, statewide, and nationally. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.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.