Facilitated Access to Science Training (FAST)

通过促进获得科学培训(FAST)项目，德克萨斯大学圣安东尼奥分校的首席研究员团队寻求增加经济困难学生的数量，这些学生完成生物、化学或物理学位并进入科学工作队伍或继续深造。该项目要求13名参与者参加旨在帮助他们寻找支持、与教师导师建立关系并加强他们作为科学家的自我效能感和自我认同感的活动。该计划的一个独特之处是为期一周的密集大学前科学新兵训练营，重点是向学生提供他们所缺乏的学科领域的基础知识，并向他们介绍科学思维。为了扩大参与，从大圣安东尼奥地区招收学生，该地区有70%的西班牙裔和非洲裔美国人。通过该项目，S-STEM学者(A)在通过看门人和高级课程的过程中发展学术卓越和独立性，(B)通过与导师的联系增强他们作为科学家的能力，(C)参与科学研究，以及(D)参与专业和个人增长活动，包括参加科学会议。该计划建立在目前成功的举措的基础上，包括在入门课程中实施基于证据的做法，以及从大学的大学预科课程中招收本科生。通过评估和评估产生的数据支持这种三管齐下的方法，即为学生提供支持结构、教师导师，并帮助他们成为自我认同的科学家，从而导致留住和毕业。形成性和终结性评估侧重于评估学生的信心、学业抱负和期望以及职业发展。学生们还被跟踪和采访，了解该项目的影响。该项目成果的传播为加强自我效能和自我认同提供了一个模式，作为留住STEM学生的一种手段。项目组计划通过了解扩大研究职业参与的干预措施年度会议以及通过美国化学学会和美国化学协会的全国会议介绍他们的工作。项目交付成果将包括总结性评价结果和为新兵训练营编写的课程材料。

Through the Facilitated Access to Science Training (FAST) project the Principle Investigator team at the University of Texas at San Antonio seeks to increase the number of economically disadvantaged students who complete biology, chemistry, or physics degrees and proceed to enter the scientific workforce or pursue advanced studies. The project requires 13 participants to take part in activities designed to help them find support, build relationships with faculty mentors, and strengthen their self-efficacy and self-identity as scientists. A unique feature of the plan is an intensive one-week, pre-college science boot camp that focuses on providing students with foundational knowledge in subject areas in which they are deficient and introduces them to scientific thinking. In order to broaden participation, students are recruited from the greater San Antonio area which is 70% Hispanic and African American.Throughout the project, S-STEM scholars (a) develop academic excellence and independence as they proceed through gatekeeper and advanced courses, (b) enhance their competence as scientists by connecting with a mentor, (c) participate in scientific research, and (d) engage in professional and personal enrichment activities including participation in scientific conferences. The program builds on current, successful initiatives including the implementation of evidence-based practices in gateway courses and recruitment of undergraduates from the university's college preparatory program. Data generated through assessment and evaluation supports the rationale that this three-pronged approach of providing students with a support structure, faculty mentors, and helping them to become self-identified scientists leads to retention and graduation. Formative and summative evaluation focuses on assessment of student confidence, academic aspirations and expectations, and career development. The students are also tracked and interviewed about the project's impact. Dissemination of the project results provides a model for strengthening self-efficacy and self-identity as a means of retaining STEM students. The project team plans to present their work through the Annual Conference on Understanding Interventions that Broaden Participation in Research Careers as well as through national meetings of the American Chemical Society and the AAAS. Project deliverables will include results of summative evaluation and the course materials developed for the boot camp.