Developing Engineering Academic Pathways for Low Income Students

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。 在为期五年的奖学金期间，夏洛特的北卡罗来纳州大学（UNCC）的这一项目将为四组15名攻读工程领域学士学位的学生提供60份奖学金。该计划将侧重于增加来自北卡罗来纳州夏洛特的三所一级学校的申请，提供为学生参加大学入学考试做准备的课程。 它还将为指导顾问提供专业发展，以便他们能够最好地建议和鼓励可能对工程专业感兴趣的学生。 一套学生成功的方案将提供给所有学生谁录取到工程方案在联合国赔偿委员会。该计划还将包括年度务虚会，以在未来的工程专业人士中建立科学身份。 它将提供旅行资金，帮助学者参加专业网络活动，在那里他们可以通过与行业专业人士的互动建立社会资本。通过学生支持方面和研究组成部分，该计划将实施四项战略，以提高夏洛特的经济流动性，这些战略是由夏洛特-梅克伦堡机会工作组在2017年推荐的。 这些战略包括：1）扩大我们的K-12和高等教育机构提供的高质量大学和职业途径的范围和途径，同时确保所有学生都能获得和支持全方位的机会; 2）为所有学生及其家长提供他们需要的信息和指导，以了解和浏览多个大学和职业途径，准备和过程; 3）扩大和加强对第一代和其他需要帮助过渡到并完成中等教育的低社会经济地位学生的支持;以及，4）提升并积极宣传获得中学后学位和/或行业认证的至关重要性，以便年轻人在快速变化的技术先进的劳动力市场中成功竞争。 一个混合方法的研究设计将被用来调查该计划和战略的成功和有效性。 质性研究设计将探讨学生支持服务，学术咨询，并在低收入学生就读于工程专业的导师的有效性。研究小组还将探讨低收入家庭的学生如何创建科学身份，导航课程，形成关系，并穿越学术文化。 本研究将由三个理论框架构成：Chickering的学生发展理论，Bourdieu的社会资本理论，以及Holland，Lachiotte，Skinner和Cain的身份理论。 将采用扎根理论方法分析数据。 此外，该团队将开展与夏洛特梅克伦堡学校的城市学生服务的高中辅导员专门相关的研究，这些专业人员将研究这些专业人员的几个特征，包括（1）专业发展，（2）对公正世界的信念，（3）多元文化能力自我效能感和（4）学校辅导员STEM职业倡导高成就，该奖项反映了NSF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。

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. Throughout the five-year award, this project at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) will fund sixty scholarships in four groups of fifteen students who are pursuing bachelor's degrees in engineering fields. This program will focus on increasing applications from three Title I schools in Charlotte, NC, by delivering programs that prepare students for college entry exams. It will also provide professional development to guidance counselors so that they can best advise and encourage students who may be interested in engineering majors. A suite of student success programs will be provided to all students who matriculate to engineering programs at UNCC. The program will also include annual retreats to build a scientific identity among the future engineering professionals. It will provide travel funds to help scholars attend professional networking events, where they can build social capital through interactions with industry professionals. Through the student support aspects and research components, the program will implement four of the strategies for improving economic mobility in Charlotte that were recommended by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force in 2017. These strategies include: 1) broadening the range of and access to high quality college and career pathways offered by our K-12 and postsecondary institutions while ensuring all students have access to and support of the full range of opportunities; 2) equipping all students and their parents with the information and guidance they need to understand and navigate multiple college and career pathways, preparation, and processes; 3) expanding and strengthening support for First Generation and other low-socioeconomic students who need help transitioning to and completing secondary education; and, 4) elevating and actively promoting the critical importance of acquiring a postsecondary degree and/or industry certification for young people to successfully compete in a rapidly changing, technologically advanced labor market. A mixed methods research design will be used to investigate the success and effectiveness of the program and strategies. The qualitative research design will examine the effectiveness of student support services, academic advising, and mentorship among low-income students enrolled in engineering majors. The research team will also explore how low-income students create scientific identities, navigate curricula, form relationships, and traverse academic culture. The research will be framed by three theoretical frameworks: Chickering's theory of student development, Bourdieu's social capital theory, and Holland, Lachiotte, Skinner, and Cain's theory of identity. A grounded theory approach will be used to analyze the data. Additionally, the team will undertake research specifically related to high school counselors who are serving urban students in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools that will research several characteristics of these professionals including (1) professional development, (2) belief in a just world, (3) multicultural competency self-efficacy and (4) school counselor STEM career advocacy for high achieving, low-income students.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.