Biology and Environmental Science Training (BEST) Program

利用国家科学基金科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金(S-STEM)项目的五年资金，富兰克林·皮尔斯大学将创建生物和环境科学培训(BEST)项目。最好的计划将为14名低收入、高成就的学生提供奖学金，这些学生正在攻读生物和环境科学学士学位。该计划旨在提高这些学生的学业成就、保留率、毕业率和就业或研究生院安置，从而促进地区和国家对STEM毕业生和员工的需求。最优秀的学者将参加项目活动，重点是将FPU上超过1000英亩的未开发土地作为活实验室，在那里他们将对自然群落、环境健康和保护进行研究。他们的期望是，这些活动将帮助学生毕业并过渡到生物和环境科学领域有意义的职业。最好的学者将成为学习社区的一部分，这个社区共享学术兴趣、课程部分和共享住所。学者将与教师导师匹配，有同行和专业辅导，以及工作跟踪机会。该计划将在大学内部和全国范围内共享其开发的材料和资源，以及其研究成果。这些材料和结果将为浮法大学的生物和环境科学课程提供参考。此外，他们有可能加深对加强课程和共同课程机会对学生成功的作用的理解。最佳计划将建立在现有和正在进行的成功活动的基础上，并引入新的活动，以实现其招收、保留和为有经济需要的学生做好职业准备的目标。最佳项目目标包括：1)通过有针对性的招生，将富兰克林·皮尔斯生物与环境科学专业的优秀学生总数增加14人；2)通过循证课程改进，提高S-STEM学生的学业成绩；3)通过加强联合课程支持和服务，将S-STEM学生的一年级保留率和四年毕业率提高到86%；以及4)通过研究利用户外活动时间作为社区建设主题的本科生学习社区的影响，为有效实践的知识库做出贡献，以提高有经济需要的学生的成功。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With five years of funding from the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program, Franklin Pierce University (FPU) will create the Biology and Environmental Science Training (BEST) Program. The BEST program will provide scholarships to 14 low-income, high-achieving students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in biology and environmental science. The program aims to increase academic success, retention, graduation, and job or graduate school placement of these students, thus contributing to regional and national need for STEM graduates and employees. BEST scholars will participate in program activities focused on using more than 1,000 acres of undeveloped land on FPU as a living laboratory, where they will conduct research on the natural community, environmental health, and conservation. The expectation is that these activities will help students graduate and transition into meaningful careers in biology and environmental science. BEST scholars will be part of a learning community that shares academic interests, sections of courses, and shared residence. Scholars will be matched to faculty mentors, have peer and professional tutoring, and job shadowing opportunities. The program will share the materials and resources it develops, as well as its research results, within the university and nationally. These materials and results will inform FPU's biology and environmental science curriculum. In addition, they have the potential to deepen understanding about the role of enhanced curricular and co-curricular opportunities for student success.The BEST Program will build upon existing and ongoing successful activities, as well as introduce new ones, to achieve its goals of recruitment, retention, and career preparation of students with financial need. BEST Program objectives include 1) increasing the number of high achieving students in Franklin Pierce's biology and environmental science major by 14 total students, using targeted recruitment practices; 2) increasing academic success of S-STEM students, using evidence-based curricular improvements; 3) improving first year retention and four-year graduation rates of S-STEM scholars to 86%, by enhancing co-curricular support and services; and 4) contributing to the knowledge base of effective practices for enhancing success of students with demonstrated financial need, by research on the impact of undergraduate learning communities that use time spent outdoors as a community building theme.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.