Planning: HSI Project: Supporting STEM Undergraduates through On-Campus Employment and Mentorship

在改善本科STEM教育的支持下：西班牙裔服务机构（HSI计划），该规划项目旨在支持初步概念化，规划和合作活动，这些活动将制定两个新的更大规模的NSF提案，以及通过校园就业和指导在Prefreshman工程计划（PREP）支持五个HSI的STEM本科生。校内就业已被证明有利于学生的学术和社会参与;然而，许多校内工作与校外工作相比没有薪酬竞争力，许多学生失去了校内工作所能提供的丰富生活的机会。支持的STEM本科生将获得有竞争力的津贴，以及文化相关的导师（CRM）培训和通过同行互动，项目工作人员和STEM专业人员指导自己。作为PREP的导师，学生将在一个环境中，他们能够应用STEM技能和知识，并学习文化相关实践在指导中的重要性，通过STEM和个人成长为所有人创造积极的利益，从而提高STEM的参与和保留。该项目的具体目标是通过以STEM为重点的校园就业，提高在五个HSIs攻读STEM副学士或学士学位的学生的保留率和毕业率，通过扩大CRM加强本科STEM教育，并建立本科STEM教育的基础研究能力。从这个项目收集的数据将有助于确定如何STEM为重点的校园就业机会在夏季作为近同龄人STEM导师为大学前的学员可以提高学术和社会资本和大学的成功。结果将用于开发两个更大规模的NSF提案，这将扩大该项目的努力和范围。从这个项目中获得的知识旨在突出校园就业，近同行辅导以及在夏季与STEM同行和专业人士建立联系的重要性/积极影响。HSI计划旨在加强本科STEM教育，并建立HSI的能力。HSI计划支持的项目也将产生关于如何实现这些目标的新知识。该奖项反映了NSF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。

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this planning project aims to support initial conceptualization, planning and collaboration activities that will formulate two new larger-scale NSF proposals, as well as supporting STEM undergraduates at five HSIs through on-campus employment and mentorship at the Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP). On-campus employment has been shown to benefit students’ academic and social engagement; however, many on-campus jobs are not pay-competitive with off-campus jobs and many students lose the opportunity to gain enrichment that on-campus jobs can provide. Supported STEM undergraduates will receive competitive stipends, as well as culturally relevant mentorship (CRM) training and mentoring themselves through peer interaction, program staff, and STEM professionals. As mentors for PREP, students will be in an environment where they are able to apply STEM skills and knowledge and learn the importance of culturally relevant practices in mentoring, creating a positive benefit to all through STEM and personal growth, leading to increased STEM participation and retention. The specific aims of this project are to improve the retention and graduation of students pursuing associate's or baccalaureate degrees in STEM at five HSIs through STEM-focused on-campus employment, to enhance undergraduate STEM education by expanding CRM, and to build capacity for fundamental research in undergraduate STEM education. Data collected from this project will help identify how STEM-focused on-campus employment opportunities during the summer as near-peer STEM mentors for pre-college mentees could improve academic and social capital and college success. Results will be used to develop two larger scale NSF proposals that will expand upon this project’s efforts and scope. Knowledge gained from this project aims to highlight the importance/positive effects of on-campus employment, near-peer mentoring, and networking with STEM peers and professionals during the summertime. 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.