Arkansas Delta Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Project (ADSTEP)

四所社区学院(中南社区学院、阿肯色州东北学院、东阿肯色州社区学院和阿肯色大学菲利普斯社区学院)、阿肯色大学史密斯堡分校和阿肯色州三角洲的24个学区正在合作，为学生提供更多的毕业途径。该项目旨在招收更多的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学生，特别是非洲裔美国学生，在先进制造技术领域创造一条符合行业要求的职业道路，并展示和示范一个系统的解决方案，解决STEM领域历史上少数民族毕业生代表性不足的问题。智力优势：来自高度贫困和高度少数群体社会经济背景的学生往往必须获得有报酬的工作，以支持追求高等教育目标，因此在他们的学术生涯早期就需要劳动力技能。为了解决这一问题，该项目正在创建一条明确的教育/职业道路，其中包括可就业的、有证书的高中毕业结业点、应用科学副学士课程和学士学位课程。正在加强非洲裔美国学生进入STEM职业，特别是先进制造技术领域的招生，这一伙伴关系包括具有高度贫困和/或高度少数族裔学生人口的学区。专职招聘人员/辅导员与学区教师和工作人员合作，指导学生进行STEM职业选择。该项目的一项创新战略是在学生的整个学术生涯中为他们提供专业的顾问/招聘者的支持，从高中到大学毕业。BROADER影响：通过阿肯色州两年制学院协会(AATYC)，项目成果正在传播到阿肯色州的另外18所社区大学。社区学院如何与大学和地区学区合作，增加选择STEM职业的非裔美国学生的数量，这一模式的创建正在影响三角洲地区管理局管理的一个由8个州、240个县/教区管理的地区。

Four community colleges (Mid-South Community College, Arkansas Northeastern College, East Arkansas Community College, and Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas), the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, and 24 school districts in the Arkansas Delta are partnering to produce more pathways to graduation for students. This project is designed to recruit more students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), with a particular focus on African-American students, to create a career pathway in advanced manufacturing technology which is aligned with industry requirements, and to demonstrate and model a systemic solution to the historic underrepresentation of minority graduates in STEM fields. INTELLECTUAL MERIT: Students from high-poverty and high minority socioeconomic backgrounds often must obtain gainful employment to support the pursuit of higher education goals and therefore require workforce skills early in their academic careers. To address this issue, this project is creating an articulated education/career pathway that includes employable, credentialed completion points at graduation from high school, associate of applied science programs, and baccalaureate programs. Recruitment of African-American students to STEM careers, particularly the advanced manufacturing technology field, is being enhanced by a partnership that includes school districts with high-poverty and/or high-minority student populations. Dedicated recruiters/counselors partner with school district teachers and staff to mentor students into STEM career choices. An innovative strategy of this project is the support of a dedicated counselor/recruiter for students throughout their academic career, beginning in high school and continuing to college graduation.BROADER IMPACT: Through the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges (AATYC), project outcomes are being disseminated to an additional 18 community colleges in Arkansas. Creation of a model of how community colleges, in partnership with universities and regional school districts, can increase the number of African-American students choosing STEM careers is impacting an 8-state, 240 county/parish region administered by the Delta Regional Authority.