HSI Pilot Project: Experiential Learning STEM Opportunity for Latinos (ELSOL)

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With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Track 1 Pilot Project aims to improve knowledge about how to increase participation in STEM careers for minoritized individuals living in high poverty urban and rural areas seeking to transfer with an Associates of Science degree to a 4-year university. This goal will be achieved by using two key methods to promote mathematical and science identities toward retention in STEM. These methods include: 1) implementing teaching practices in mathematics courses to improve student self-efficacy and a growth mindset, and 2) engagement through experiential learning in which students will participate in undergraduate research. The expected outcomes of this work are: 1) to improve students’ perceptions on their abilities and sense of belonging in mathematics and science, 2) to improve student retention in STEM programs upon transfer, and 3) to develop a model for implementation of the program at other community colleges. This project will address the underrepresentation of Hispanics among STEM workers and the critical shortage of STEM professionals nationwide. Students participating in this project will gain important knowledge and skills that will prepare them to transfer successfully to a bachelor’s program. Data collected through this project will contribute the knowledge on best practices for students from groups that are underrepresented in STEM environments.Research suggests that minoritized individuals living in underserved communities do not easily sustain an identity in STEM career pathways, thus Dona Ana Community College will implement a program to enhance STEM education and broaden participation in STEM. The project’s STEM education research will utilize a mixed methods design to answer the following question: Does experiential learning opportunities strengthen student mathematical and science identity and retention in STEM career pathways? The quantitative survey aspect of the research will ascertain the impact of each activity on math and science identity. The case study approach will examine qualitative aspects of the cohort experience that promote identity and retention. Students will also be tracked to determine the impact of the program on retention in STEM. The results of the STEM educational research will be disseminated through regional and national conferences, and through publication in professional journals. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims.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.