Undergraduate Catalytic Outreach and Research Experience

通过在俄勒冈州高中、社区学院和大学之间建立无缝过渡，该项目正在建立一个模式，以提高该教育水平的学生的招生、转学和保留率，最终获得STEM学士学位。主要内容包括：及早发现对STEM领域感兴趣的社区学院和大学生；在夏季提供为期一周的强化夏令营和为期10周的研究项目；以及在教育推广、同行指导、学术和职业道路指导方面的培训。在这些活动之后，学生在下一学年在研究生和教师导师的指导下，在他们的家庭机构(社区学院和大学)担任同行导师。该项目的智力价值在于让学生沉浸在早期的研究经历中-特别关注来自不同非传统背景的社区大学学生-以提高与物理相关的副学士学位的完成率，并增加转到四年制院校并在这些领域完成学士学位的人数。它还测试了社区大学和高中的催化同行和近乎同行的指导和辅导模式，以提高人们对物理科学和相关职业的兴趣。该项目的更广泛影响体现在它针对的社区大学，这些大学拥有该州从事高等教育的最多样化的学生群体。通过该项目的设计，来自不同背景的学生能够指导、辅导或以其他方式鼓励他们的同龄人成功完成课程并进入物理职业生涯。对该项目的评估为该州的教育和政治领导层提供了宝贵和必要的数据，因为该项目寻求改善高中、社区大学和四年制院校之间的过渡。

By creating a seamless transition between Oregon high schools, community colleges, and universities, this project is establishing a model for improving the recruitment, transfer, and retention rates of students along that spectrum of educational levels, eventually leading to baccalaureate STEM degrees. Key elements include: early identification of community college and university students with interest in STEM fields; provision of intensive week-long camps and 10-week research projects in the summer; and training in education outreach, peer-led tutoring, academic and career-path mentoring. Following these activities students serve as peer tutors at their home institutions (both community colleges and universities) during the next academic year under the supervision of graduate student and faculty mentors. The intellectual merit of the project lies in the immersion of students in early research experiences - with a special focus on community college students from diverse, non-traditional backgrounds - in order to improve completion rates of physical sciences-related transfer associate degrees, and to boost the numbers who transfer to four-year institutions and complete baccalaureate degrees in these areas. It also tests models for catalytic peer- and near-peer mentoring and tutoring at community colleges and high schools to increase interest in physical sciences and related careers. The project's broader impacts are felt in its targeting of community colleges that have the most diverse group of students engaged in post-secondary education in the state. Through the project's design students from diverse backgrounds are able to mentor, tutor, and otherwise encourage their peers to successfully complete coursework and move into physical sciences careers. Evaluation of the project is providing valuable and needed data to the educational and political leadership in the state as it seeks to improving transitions between high school, community college and four-year institutions.