Science to Success: supporting STEM achievement in the Bluegrass

该项目将有助于对受过良好教育的科学家，数学家，工程师和技术人员的国家需求，通过支持高成就，低收入学生的保留和毕业，证明在蓝草社区和技术学院的经济需要。总共有45名攻读环境科学技术、生物技术、工业工程技术、数学、计算机信息技术或计算机工程技术副学士学位的科学家将获得奖学金，并有机会获得一系列服务，为转入学士学位机构或进入高需求工作做准备。学者将获得STEM协调员的深入支持，协调员将监督基于队列的学术经验，安排辅导和聚光灯教学，并提供对校园计划和系统的见解，这些计划和系统将使学者在学习过程中受益。教师导师将让学生参与一个专注于科学探究和专业网络的共享实践社区。导师还将提供补充指导和分享知识，以便学者科学家在其所选领域推进职业生涯时做好更好的准备。在他们的两年在项目中，学者群体将提供机会，网络，追求研究，并加深他们与课程内容的参与，因为他们与行业和学术专业人士在中央肯塔基州和其他地方连接。该项目的总体目标是提高低收入，高成就的本科生与证明财政需要完成STEM学位。低收入家庭的学生占学院人口的一半以上，需要更系统地了解学生的经历和完成学业要求的障碍。为此，该项目还包括一个严格的评估计划，将评估目标的进展情况，并产生与可能阻碍低收入学生在社区大学STEM项目中取得成功的因素有关的新知识。主要数据来源包括访谈、调查和学习社区研讨会中的小组反馈会议。通过参与项目活动，教师导师将了解哪些做法在留住低收入学生方面最有效，并将鼓励他们与同事分享这些知识，以更好地将创新融入学院的教学方法中。该项目由NSF的科学，技术，工程和数学奖学金计划资助，该计划旨在增加低收入学术人才的数量，这些学生表现出经济需求，并获得STEM领域的学位。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并产生关于低收入学生的学术成功，保留，转移，毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力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 Bluegrass Community and Technical College. A total of 45 scholar-scientists pursuing associate’s degrees in environmental science technology, biotechnology, industrial engineering technology, mathematics, computer information technology or computer engineering technology will be receive scholarships and have access to a suite of services in preparation for transfer to baccalaureate institutions or entry into high-demand jobs. Scholars will receive in-depth support from a STEM Coordinator who will oversee cohort-based academic experiences, arrange tutoring and spotlight instruction, and provide insights into campus programs and systems that will benefit scholars as they proceed through their studies. Faculty mentors will engage students in a shared community of practice focused on scientific inquiry and professional networking. Mentors will also provide supplementary instruction and share knowledge to better prepare the scholar-scientists as they advance their careers in their chosen fields. During their two years in the project, cohorts of scholars will be provided opportunities to network, pursue research, and deepen their engagement with course content as they connect with industry and academic professionals in Central Kentucky and elsewhere. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. Low-income students comprise more than half of the college’s population, and a more systematic effort is needed to understand student experiences and the barriers to completing academic requirements. To this end, the project also includes a rigorous evaluation plan that will assess progress toward goals and generate new knowledge related to factors that might impede low-income student success in STEM programs at a community college. Major data sources include interviews, surveys, and group feedback sessions within the learning community seminars. Through participation in the project activities, faculty mentors will learn which practices are most effective in retaining low-income students and will be encouraged to share this knowledge with colleagues to better embed innovations in the college’s approach to teaching and learning. 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.