The New Scientist Training (NeST) Program

亚基马山谷社区学院(YVCC)的新科学家培训(Nest)计划将提高对获得STEM学位感兴趣的低收入和第一代大学生的表现。该方案将为至少32名参与者提供财政支持，这些参与者分成四组。该项目的最终目标是支持西班牙裔和其他第一代科学家的渠道，这些科学家来自亚基马山谷的贫困家庭，他们在技术领域表现出色。该计划将利用五个关键要素：奖励奖学金以奖励学业成绩；本科生研究机会；成立STEM俱乐部；扩大辅导；以及积极主动的建议。将利用两级方法来获取关键数据并提供信息，以证实项目在多大程度上达到了既定的成果目标。第一层的数据收集和分析将是定量的，主要利用青瓦台的学生管理信息系统来收集关于学生人口统计和持续目标的信息。第二层将依赖于系统地从参与该项目的各个方面的教职员工和学生收集的定性数据。其结果将是可以在其他机构使用的证据，以提高未被充分代表的学生在科学方面的表现和毅力。

The New Scientist Training (NeST) program at Yakima Valley Community College (YVCC) will improve the performance of low-income and first-generation college students interested in earning a degree in a STEM. The program will provide financial support to a minimum of 32 participants organized in four cohorts. The ultimate objective of the project is to bolster the pipeline of Hispanic and other first-generation scientists from poorer backgrounds in the Yakima Valley who excel in technical fields. The program will utilize five key elements: incentivized scholarships to be awarded for academic performance; undergraduate research opportunities; formation of a STEM club; expanded tutoring; and proactive advising. A two-tiered approach will be utilized to capture critical data and provide information to substantiate the degree to which the project is meeting stated outcome objectives. The first tier of data collection and analysis will be quantitative, utilizing primarily YVCC's Student Management Information System to collect information about student demographics and persistence objectives. The second tier will rely on qualitative data systematically gathered from faculty, staff, and students participating in various aspects of the project. The result will be evidence that can be used at other institutions to improve underrepresented student performance and persistence in the sciences.