Implementation Project: A STEM Innovation Ecosystem to Enhance Persistence, Retention, and Graduation Rates in Underrepresented Minority Students

传统黑人学院和大学的实施项目-本科计划（HBCU-UP）为设计，实施，研究和评估全面的机构努力提供支持，通过加强科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）教育和研究来增加学生人数和他们的准备质量。利文斯通学院的这一实施项目旨在扩大社会认知职业理论（SCCT）模型的使用，并研究其对未被充分代表的少数民族（URM）新生的留任、毕业和研究生院/职业选择的影响。该项目以循证实践为基础，这些努力在利文斯通学院校园的整合程度有可能改变该机构的STEM教育和研究能力，并推进STEM教育方面的知识。该项目旨在1)通过创新生态系统提高学生参与度和研究水平；2)通过基于社会认知的STEM课程干预措施减轻学士学位关键过渡点的障碍；3)建立STEM创业学习社区。该项目将通过以课程为基础的本科生研究经验、教师在与SCCT相关的教学和课程实践方面的专业发展、整体学习活动以及“科学策划”的创建，通过准实验设计来研究支持结构的组合在多大程度上加深了URM学生对数学和科学的兴趣。此外，该项目将分析这些更深层次的兴趣在多大程度上以最终产生更强结果的方式驱动自我效能和结果预期。了解这些策略将使利益相关者能够更严格地评估培养科学创业精神的STEM项目，支持活动的有效性，以及这些活动与STEM创新和研究的学生保留率和连续性的相关性。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 in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provide support to design, implement, study, and assess comprehensive institutional efforts to increase the numbers of students and the quality of their preparation by strengthening science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research. This implementation project at Livingstone College seeks to expand the use of the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) model and study its effect in retention, graduation, and graduate school/career choice among underrepresented minority (URM) freshmen students. The project is grounded in evidence-based practices and the extent to which these endeavors are integrated on the campus of Livingstone College has the potential to transform the STEM education and research capacity of the institution, and advance knowledge in STEM education.The project aims to 1) enhance student engagement and research through an innovation ecosystem, 2) mitigate barriers to baccalaureate critical transition points through socially cognitive STEM course-based interventions and 3) establish a STEM Entrepreneurship Learning Community. Through course-based undergraduate research experiences, faculty professional development in pedagogical and curricular practices associated with SCCT, holistic learning activities, and the creation of a “Science Mastermind”, the project will investigate through a quasi-experimental design to what extent and which combination of support structures deepen URM students’ interests in math and science. Further, the project will analyze to what extent do these deeper interests drive self-efficacy and outcome expectations in ways that ultimately yield stronger outcomes. Understanding these strategies will enable stakeholders to more rigorously evaluate STEM programs that develop scientific entrepreneurship, the efficacy of the support activities, and the correlation of these activities with student retention and continuity in STEM Innovation and Research.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.