Preparing Engineers and Computer Scientists (PECS)

威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校的国家科学基金会科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金(S-STEM)项目将为有才华、有经济需求的低收入学生提供奖学金，他们正在攻读工程和计算机科学学士学位。除了奖学金，该计划还将提供学术和其他支持，以增加学业上有天赋的低收入学生的坚持不懈。该项目旨在为学业优秀但经济困难的学生提供一条无缝的毕业途径。考虑到每个学生需要的不同类型的支持，该计划将利用一个以证据为基础的有效实践的整体框架，以确保每个学者所面临的特殊挑战得到解决。奖学金和对学业优秀学生的支持，将有助于培养一支训练有素的劳动力队伍，这将为大密尔沃基地区和国家的经济活力做出贡献。研究表明，STEM流失的主要原因包括学生的课堂体验不佳，缺乏教师指导，以及缺乏支持的校园氛围。该提案将检验这样一种观点，即强大的教师指导和建议、面向社区的活动、本科生研究机会以及选择性地参与学生组织和专业团体将减少孤立，增加联系，并提高对有才华的低收入学生的职业承诺，这些学生最初与大学的联系可能是有限的。该项目建立的整体框架建立在各种现有学生支持活动的基础上，包括预习和暑期桥项目、辅导、生活学习社区、实习和本科生研究机会，以及参与学生组织和专业团体。学者将有经验丰富的工程和计算机科学教授的导师。一批积极从事职业发展和社区活动的学者将有助于建立一种支持性的氛围。该项目将利用密尔沃基地区工业可用的资源。除了产业实习的机会，学者们还将有产业导师。这些来自行业的导师将帮助学生了解在他们未来的工程和计算机科学职业生涯中可获得的机会的性质。该项目将对职业目标的承诺确定为学生坚持不懈的重要因素，并预计行业指导与教师和其他职业建议相结合将提高学生对所选专业前景的理解。该计划的调查结果将广泛传播给STEM教育界，并有助于增加对成功的学生奖学金和支持计划的属性和做法的了解。

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) project at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will provide scholarships for talented, low-income students with demonstrated financial need pursuing bachelor's degrees in engineering and computer science. In addition to scholarships, the program will provide academic and other support to increase the persistence of academically talented, low-income students. The project aims to provide a seamless graduation pathway for academically talented yet economically disadvantaged students. In recognition of the varied types of support needed by individual students, the program will utilize a holistic framework of evidence-based effective practices to ensure that the challenges particular to each scholar are addressed. Scholarships and support for academically strong students, who may not otherwise be able to afford college, will help to produce a well-trained workforce that will contribute to the economic vitality of the greater Milwaukee region and the nation.The program organization is informed by research indicating that significant reasons for STEM attrition include poor classroom experiences of students, lack of faculty mentoring, and an unsupportive campus atmosphere. The proposal will test the idea that strong faculty mentoring and advising, community-oriented activities, undergraduate research opportunities, and selective participation in student organizations and professional societies will reduce isolation, increase connectedness, and improve STEM career commitment for talented low-income students whose initial connection to the university may be limited. The holistic framework established in this project builds on a variety of existing student support activities including pre-orientation and summer bridge programs, tutoring, a living-learning community, internship and undergraduate research opportunities, and participation in student organizations and professional societies. Scholars will have mentors who are experienced engineering and computer science faculty. An active cohort of scholars engaged in career development and community-oriented activities will help establish a supportive climate. The project will utilize the resources available in the industries located in the Milwaukee region. In addition to the opportunity for industrial internships, scholars will have industrial mentors. These mentors from industry will help students learn about the nature of the opportunities available in their prospective careers in engineering and computer science. The project has identified commitment to career goals as an important element in student persistence and anticipates that industrial mentoring combined with faculty and other career advising will improve student understanding of the prospects of their intended majors. The findings from the program will be disseminated widely to the STEM education community and help increase understanding of the attributes and practices of successful student scholarship and support programs.