Expanding Opportunities through the Science Scholars Program

23名有学术天赋、有经济需求的学生被分成三组，他们将获得奖学金，开始在两年制的帕洛阿尔托学院（Palo Alto College）学习，然后转到德克萨斯农工大学（Texas a&m University）完成他们的四年制学位。这些学生将转入理学院攻读生物、化学、数学或物理学位。在帕洛阿尔托进行的课程工作是根据两所院校之间现有的衔接协议的条款量身定制的，这样学生就会自动被德克萨斯农工大学录取，并无缝地进入高年级课程。这个项目正在增加来自代表性不足的群体的学生人数，这些学生主修STEM领域。帕洛阿尔托学院的学生主要是西班牙裔及其家庭的第一代大学生。在之前成功的项目的基础上，帕洛阿尔托的学生和他们的家人被邀请参加为期两天的研究所。学生和他们的家人被安置在校园宿舍，并在校园设施用餐。学生和他们的家人参加不同的课程。这样一来，学生和家属的担忧就可以分别得到解决。该学院正在让家庭适应他们的儿子和女儿离开家，让学生开始与同学和老师建立联系。

Twenty-three academically talented students with financial need divided among three cohorts are receiving scholarships to begin their studies at the two-year institution, Palo Alto College, to be followed by transfer to Texas A & M University to complete their four-year degrees. The students will be transferring into the College of Science to pursue degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics. The course work being undertaken at Palo Alto is tailored to meet the terms of an existing articulation agreement between the two institutions such that the scholars are automatically accepted into Texas A & M and proceed seamlessly into the upper division courses. This program is increasing the number students from of underrepresented groups that are majoring in a STEM field. The Palo Alto College student population is predominantly Hispanic and their families' first generation college students. Building on a previous successful program, the Palo Alto students and their families are being invited to a two-day institute. The students and their families are being housed in campus dormitories and dining at campus facilities. Students and their families are attending separate tracks. This is allowing the concerns of both the students and families to be addressed separately. The institute is acclimating families to their sons and daughters moving away from the home and for the students to begin to make connections to classmates and faculty.