STEM Success through Scholarships, Support and Service (S-5)

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The STEM Success through Scholarships, Support and Service (S-5) project will address the national need for well-educated scientists, engineers, and technicians in interdisciplinary fields in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Florida State College at Jacksonville will award scholarships to at least 30 unique low-income academically talented students (17 part-time; 13 full time) who are pursuing associate degrees in computer information technology, engineering technology, biotechnology, data science, environmental science technology and Associates of Arts degrees in STEM that lead to transfer to a four-year degree in STEM. Building on prior National Science Foundation support, the project will provide a system of student curricular and co-curricular supports that include faculty mentoring, student cohorts, opportunities to participate in service learning activities, supplemental instruction (on-line study skills and STEM content tutorials), rigorous guidance from faculty and staff, undergraduate research and industry internship opportunities, networking with professionals, career develop through partnering with the FSCJ Career and Internship Center, support for transfer from a 2-year program to a 4-year program in STEM, and post-graduation support in the form of an alumni program. A strong dual enrollment program with secondary schools provides college credit. The goals of the program are to (1) provide scholarships to at least 30 students who demonstrate financial need and who are academically talented and (2) implement evidence-based strategies to support student academic and career pathways through service-learning experiences, STEM internships/undergraduate research experiences, transfer services, and supplemental instructional resources. While all students who meet eligibility criteria will be provided an opportunity to apply for scholarships and participation in project activities, recruitment will focus on STEM students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines, including first-generation students, veterans, racial minorities and women. Drawing upon the research and practice literature and taking a mixed methods approach, the project team will investigate the following questions:• What is the impact of supplemental instruction on retention, completion, transfer and degree attainment?• How does completion of online study tutorials affect self efficacy?• How do career awareness activities impact choice of academic and career pathways?• How does the service learning component affect course completion and program retention?The 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.