North Star STEM Alliance: Building on the Legacy of Minnesota's LSAMP

Louis Stokes少数族裔参与联盟(LSAMP)计划帮助大学和学院努力大幅增加科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)学科的高质量学位课程录取并成功完成的学生数量，以实现STEM劳动力的多样化。特别强调通过创新的、基于证据的招聘和保留战略以及相关的教育经验来转变本科STEM教育，以支持在STEM学科中历来代表性不足的种族和民族：非洲裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人、美国印第安人、阿拉斯加原住民、夏威夷原住民和太平洋原住民。这些战略有助于培养准备充分的学生，这些学生非常合格，有动力在STEM继续研究生教育或职业生涯。为了保持全球竞争力，至关重要的是要挖掘所有公民的才华，并在支撑知识经济的STEM领域提供出色的教育准备。北极星STEM联盟(NSSA)成立于2007年，以满足对更多样化和更熟练的技术劳动力的需求。这种需要仍然存在，在明尼苏达州尤为迫切。参与的机构包括明尼苏达大学的三个校区(双子城、德卢斯和莫里斯)；七所明尼苏达州立大学和大学(贝米吉州立大学、世纪学院、丰迪拉克部落和社区学院、大都会州立大学、明尼阿波利斯社区和技术学院、明尼苏达州立大学曼卡托和圣克劳德州立大学)、一所部落学院(利奇湖部落学院)和三所私立学院(奥格斯堡、卡尔顿和圣奥拉夫)。社区合作伙伴包括明尼苏达州科学博物馆、明尼苏达州高科技协会和明尼苏达州教育公平伙伴关系。NSSA的目标包括：1)到2022年，每年完成756个代表不足的少数族裔(URM)STEM学士学位；2)加强联盟合作，在从社区学院向四年制院校转移的所有阶段改善学生的途径；以及3)促进制度变革，以期在联盟校园内实现更大的多样性和包容性。这些目标支持了国家科学基金会的战略目标，即“培养一支世界级的、广泛包容的科学和工程劳动力队伍，并扩大所有公民的科学素养。”这些目标将通过以下方式实现：创造获得本科生研究经验的途径；小组学习、补充指导和辅导；教员和同行指导；通过队列和基于文化的STEM学生组织建立社区；STEM会议旅行；向潜在的社区大学转学学生进行外联；以及校园气候倡议。这些活动预计将产生更高的保留率和毕业率；此外，还会带来更有才华和多样化的STEM工作队伍。知识生成研究性学习包括一种混合方法研究，阐明URM学生的科学认同发展受研究经验、专业和职业探索、指导和联合课程活动的影响。这项研究将为URM学生如何在旨在支持学业和职业发展的项目中最好地茁壮成长提供宝贵的见解。对联盟规划和伙伴关系的评估将包括对URM STEM学生经历的定性研究、联盟规划、URM STEM学生对入学、保留、参与和毕业的趋势分析，以及由外部评估者进行形成性和终结性评估。

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program assists universities and colleges in their efforts to significantly increase the numbers of students matriculating into and successfully completing high quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to diversify the STEM workforce. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming undergraduate STEM education through innovative, evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies, and relevant educational experiences in support of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders. These strategies facilitate the production of well-prepared students highly-qualified and motivated to pursue graduate education or careers in STEM.For the United States (U.S.) to remain globally competitive, it is vital that it taps into the talent of all its citizens and provides exceptional educational preparedness in STEM areas that underpin the knowledge-based economy. The North Star STEM Alliance (NSSA) was established in 2007 in response to the need for a more diverse and skilled technical workforce. That need still exists and is particularly acute in the State of Minnesota. Participating institutions include three University of Minnesota campuses (Twin Cities, Duluth, and Morris); seven Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (Bemidji State, Century College, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, Metropolitan State, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minnesota State University Mankato, and St. Cloud State) a tribal college (Leech Lake Tribal College) and three private colleges (Augsburg, Carleton, and St. Olaf). Community partners include the Science Museum of Minnesota, Minnesota High Tech Association, and the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership. The goals of NSSA include: 1)Annual completion of 756 underrepresented minority (URM) STEM bachelor's degrees by 2022; 2) Deeper Alliance collaborations to improve students' pathways through all stages of transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions; and 3) Foster institutional change toward greater diversity and inclusion on Alliance campuses. These goals support the National Science Foundation's strategic goal to "cultivate a world-class, broadly inclusive science and engineering workforce, and expand the scientific literacy of all citizens." The goals will be accomplished by creating pathways to undergraduate research experiences; group study, supplemental instruction and tutoring; faculty and peer mentoring; community building via cohorts and culturally based STEM student organizations; STEM conference travel; outreach to prospective community college transfer students; and campus climate initiatives. These activities are expected to produce higher rates of retention and graduation; and moreover, lead to a more talented and diverse STEM workforce.The knowledge generating research study encompasses a mixed methods research elucidating URM students' science identity development as influenced by research experiences, major and career exploration, mentoring, and co-curricular activities. The study will provide invaluable insight regarding how URM students can best thrive in programs that aim to support academic and career pathways. Evaluation of the Alliance programming and partnership will take the form of qualitative studies of URM STEM student experiences, Alliance programming, trend analyses of enrollment, retention, engagement, and graduation by URM STEM students; and formative and summative evaluation by an external evaluator.