Preparing Highly Qualified Students with Financial Need for Careers in Computing and Cyber-Security through Evidence-Based Educational Practices

NSF科学，技术，工程和数学奖学金（S-STEM）计划支持具有经济需求的高成就，低收入学生的保留和毕业。 这个S-STEM项目是新墨西哥州州立大学和新墨西哥州理工学院与四所两年制学院合作的项目：多纳安娜社区学院、东新墨西哥州大学鲁伊多索、新墨西哥州州立大学阿拉莫戈多和新墨西哥州州立大学赠款。 这些机构是西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）和现有骨干组织的成员，西班牙裔服务机构计算联盟，专注于促进西班牙裔学生在计算方面的招聘，培训和职业发展。 在五年的时间里，这个S-STEM项目将资助66个奖学金，分为三组，每组22名学生，他们正在攻读计算机相关学科的副学士和学士学位。该项目将应用调查人员在前两个多年期奖项中开发的实践，这些实践已被证明可以支持学生计算技术和专业技能的发展。实施这些实践将引导学生沿着从两年制计算机课程到四年制计算机学位，以及成功的职业生涯和/或计算机研究生学习的道路前进。学生的专业和技术技能将通过一个结构化的模型来提高，该模型指导计算机科学，研究，团队合作和沟通技能的发展。这些技能将通过网络安全方面的项目和活动得到完善，这是一个具有全国影响的关键计算领域。技能发展活动，加上综合辅导举措，将有助于学者的进步和成功。合作机构的目标是准备低收入，学业成绩优异的学生进入计算劳动力或研究生计算学位课程。为此，该项目将为选定的学者提供以循证教学战略为基础的课外活动，以加强技术和专业准备。这些战略建立在多层次的指导，团队合作和积极参与科学界，建立社会资本的学者，自我效能和信心计算。该项目还将有助于推进知识基础：（1）影响学生在计算HSIs的保留和成功的因素，以及（2）促进采用和可持续性的证据为基础的改革，为低收入，高素质的学生计算的因素。该计划将有助于培养有才华的学生，他们可以为美国在计算和网络安全方面不断增长的劳动力需求做出贡献。对低收入学生的关注，以及合作机构中以西班牙裔学生为主的学生群体，将有助于建立一个参与者更加多样化的计算劳动力队伍。该计划还将有助于加强整个新墨西哥州从两年制大学到四年制学术课程的途径，为学生提供新的机会，并促进该州的经济发展。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program supports the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need. This S-STEM project is a collaboration between New Mexico State University and New Mexico Tech, in collaboration with four two-year colleges: Dona Ana Community College, Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso, New Mexico State University Alamogordo, and New Mexico State University Grants. These institutions are Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and members of an existing backbone organization, the Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions, which focuses on promoting recruitment, training, and career advancement of Hispanic students in computing. Over a five-year period, this S-STEM project will fund 66 scholarships, in three groups of 22 students who are pursuing Associate and Bachelor's degrees in computing-related disciplines. The project will apply practices that the investigators developed over two previous multi-year awards and that have been shown to support the development of students' technical and professional skills in computation. Implementing these practices will guide students along pathways from two-year programs to four-year degrees in computing, and to successful careers and/or graduate studies in computing. The students' professional and technical skills will be enhanced through a structured model that guides development of skills in computer science, research, team work, and communication. These skills will be refined through projects and activities in cybersecurity, a critical computing area with nationwide implications. The skills development activities, coupled with integrated mentoring initiatives, will contribute to the advancement and success of the scholars. The partnering institutions aim to prepare low-income, academically high-achieving students to enter the computing workforce or graduate computing degree programs. To this end, the project will provide the selected scholars with co-curricular activities, grounded in evidence-based pedagogical strategies, to strengthen technical and professional preparation. The strategies build on multi-level mentoring, team work, and active involvement in the scientific community, to build social capital among the scholars, and self-efficacy and confidence in computing. The project will also contribute to advancing the knowledge base about: (1) factors affecting the retention and success of students in computing at HSIs and (2) factors that facilitate the adoption and sustainability of evidence-based reforms that serve low income, highly qualified students in computing. The program will contribute to the training of talented students who can contribute to growing U.S. workforce needs in computing and cybersecurity. The focus on low-income students, and the predominantly Hispanic student population of the partnering institutions, will contribute to building a computing workforce with greater diversity of participants. The program will also contribute to reinforcing the pathways from two-year colleges to four-year academic programs across New Mexico, opening new opportunities for students, and advancing the economic development of the state.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.