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

在改进的本科生STEM教育：拉美裔服务机构(HSI计划)的支持下，这个规划项目旨在支持初步的概念化、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Preshman Engineering Program(PREP)的指导来支持五个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，薪酬竞争力不强，许多学生失去了获得校内工作所能提供的财富的机会。受资助的STEM本科生将获得有竞争力的津贴，以及与文化相关的导师(CRM)培训，并通过同行互动、项目工作人员和STEM专业人员进行自我指导。作为STEM的导师，学生将能够在这样的环境中应用STEM技能和知识，并学习与文化相关的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好处，从而增加STEM的参与率和保留率。该项目的具体目标是通过以STEM为重点的校园就业，提高在五所高等专科学校攻读STEM副学士或学士学位的学生的留校率和毕业率，通过扩大CRM来加强本科生STEM教育，并建设本科生STEM教育的基础研究能力。从该项目收集的数据将有助于确定夏季期间以STEM为重点的校园就业机会，作为大学前导师的近乎同行的STEM导师如何提高学术和社会资本以及大学成功。结果将被用来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。从该项目中获得的知识旨在突出校园就业、近同行指导以及在暑期与STEM同行和专业人员建立网络的重要性/积极影响。HSI计划旨在加强本科生STEM教育和HSI的能力建设。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智力优势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.