Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships

该项目建立了华盛顿州立大学（WSU）和哥伦比亚盆地学院（CBC）之间的合作伙伴关系，为有学术天赋但经济困难的学生提供奖学金，攻读工程、计算机科学和数学学士学位。准备充分的学生通过现有的数学工程科学成就（MESA）计划来确定，该计划旨在鼓励代表性不足的初中和高中学生完成必要的学术先决条件，以参加数学，工程和科学学士学位的课程。该计划在该地区的几所初中和高中建立良好，并在培养获得科学和工程学士学位的学生方面取得了重大成功。WSU和CBC的学生服务已经被证明在帮助学生从高中到大学生活的过渡以及他们学术生涯的剩余阶段是成功的。这些服务包括在不同机构之间的过渡期间的“桥梁”项目，核心课程的免费辅导以及在学习期间为学生提供鼓励的亲和团体。在适当的情况下，这些项目涉及到整个家庭单位，因为他们对目标地区的学生做出的决定有非常重要的影响。该项目的一个重要成果是提高了西班牙裔学生的教育成就。这些学生中的许多人进入华盛顿州目标地区众多公司之一的当地劳动力。这些公司表示：1)有兴趣为该项目的学生提供导师、实习机会和实习机会；2)非常有兴趣在获得学士学位的学生毕业后雇用他们；3)有兴趣在国家科学基金会的资助不再可用后继续为该项目提供资金。因此，另一个积极的结果是加强了工业和教育机构之间的合作。

This project is establishes a partnership between Washington State University (WSU) and Columbia Basin College (CBC) offering scholarships to academically talented but financially needy students pursuing BS degrees in engineering, computer science and mathematics. Well prepared students are identified through an existing Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program that is designed to encourage underrepresented middle and high school students to complete the academic prerequisites necessary to enroll in programs leading to BS degrees in mathematics, engineering and science. This program is well established in several middle and high schools in the area, and had significant success in producing students who earn BS degrees in science and engineering.Student services are in place both at WSU and CBC that have been shown to be successful at assisting students similar to those targeted here during both the transition from high school to college life and the remainder of their academic career. These services include "bridge" programs during transitions between different institutions, free tutoring for core courses and affinity groups that provide encouragement for students during their studies. Where appropriate, the programs involve the entire family unit since they are a very important influence on decisions made by students in the targeted area.A significant result of this project is the enhanced educational achievements by students from Hispanic backgrounds. Many of these students enter the local workforce at one of the numerous corporations in the targeted areas of the state of Washington. These corporations have indicated that they are 1) interested in providing mentors, shadowing opportunities and internships for students in this program, 2) very interested in hiring the students upon graduation with a baccalaureate degree and 3) interested in continuing the funding for the program after the NSF funding in no longer available. Thus, another positive result is increased cooperation between industry and educational institutions.