Implementation Project: The VESTEM Innovation and Collaboration (VESTEMic) Model

实施项目为传统黑人学院和大学（HBCUs）提供支持，以设计、实施、研究和评估全面的机构努力，以增加获得科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）本科学位的学生人数，并通过加强STEM教育和研究提高他们的准备质量。伊丽莎白市立大学（Elizabeth City State University）的这一项目旨在以以往的成功努力为基础，提高STEM专业（特别是化学、计算机科学、数学和物理）的学生留存率和学术质量。该项目的总体目标是增加攻读STEM学位的学生人数，提高研究生院或进入STEM劳动力的准备质量。理论框架以路易斯安那州立大学模式为基础，包括三个原则；指导、研究和教育。VESTMic项目将通过早期接触解决STEM学生的保留和坚持问题，从高中最后一个学期开始，一直持续到大二。活动包括：Pre-Viking新兵训练营，自我调节学习，大二桥梁项目STEM创新研究实验室。该项目将由内部和外部咨询委员会、外部评估人员和教育研究人员提供建议和评估其有效性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Implementation Projects provide support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the number of students receiving undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and enhance the quality of their preparation by strengthening STEM education and research. The project at Elizabeth City State University seeks to build on previous successful efforts to improve retention and academic quality of STEM majors, specifically in chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics. The overall goals of this project are to increase the number of students pursuing STEM degrees and the quality of preparation for graduate school or entry into the STEM workforce. The theoretical framework is based upon the Louisiana State University model, which consist of three tenets; mentoring, research and education.The VESTMic project will address the retention and persistence of STEM students through early contact, beginning in the last semester of high school and continuing throughout the sophomore year. Activities include: the Pre-Viking Boot Camp, Self-Regulated Learning, sophomore bridge program STEM Innovation Research lab. The project will be advised and evaluated for effectiveness by internal and external advisory boards, an external evaluator and education researcher.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.