Research has shown that student achievement is influenced by their access to, or possession of, various forms of capital. These forms of capital include financial capital, academic capital (prior academic preparation and access to academic support services), cultural capital (the attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors related to education which students are exposed to by members of their family or community), and social capital (the resources students have access to as a result of being members of groups or networks). For community college students, many with high financial need and the first in their families to go to college (especially those from underrepresented minority groups), developing programs to increase access to these various forms of capital is critical to their success. This paper describes how a small federally designated Hispanic-serving community college has developed a scholarship program for financially needy community college students intending to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field. Developed through a National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) grant, the program involves a collaboration among STEM faculty, college staff, administrators, student organizations, and partners in industry, four-year institutions, local high schools, and professional organizations. In addition to providing financial support through the scholarships, student access to academic capital is increased through an intensive math review program, tutoring, study groups, supplemental instruction, and research internship opportunities. Access to cultural and social capital is increased by providing scholars with faculty mentors; engaging students with STEM faculty, university researchers, and industry professionals through field trips, summer internships, professional organizations, and student clubs; supporting student and faculty participation at professional conferences, and providing opportunities for students and their families to interact with faculty and staff. The paper details the development of the program, and its impact over the last five years on enhancing the success of STEM students as determined from data on student participation in various program activities, student attitudinal and self-efficacy surveys, and academic performance including persistence, retention, transfer and graduation.
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This content will become publicly available on June 1, 2025
Board 185: “Someone has Invested in Me to Do This": Supporting Low-Income Students to Persist in STEM Through a NSF S-STEM Grant
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the S-STEM project, STEM CONNECT (Award No. 1930211) involves a partnership among three institutions (including one bachelor’s degree-awarding and two associate’s degree-awarding institutions) aimed at supporting cohorts of low-income, high achieving students (“Scholars”) to succeed in obtaining a STEM degree that emphasizes computer science and mathematics. The project is particularly interested in supporting women, underrepresented minorities, first generation students, transfer students, and rural students. The project uses a variety of mechanisms to support Scholars, including providing academic support through tutoring, connecting Scholars with faculty and peer mentors, developing community-building activities (e.g., Puzzle Hunts, documentary viewings), and providing career development activities (e.g., tours of local engineering and technology businesses).
In this poster session, we present an analysis of data on students’ academic progress (e.g., grades, graduation rates) and STEM work experiences (e.g., internships, research opportunities) as well as a qualitative analysis of student interview data to describe to what extent and how project structures and activities have helped Scholars to persist in their selected STEM majors and STEM career pathways. Specifically, we conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of data from student focus groups held over a period of three years (three in Spring 2021, nine in Spring 2022, and eight in Spring 2023), during which Scholars were asked to reflect on and evaluate components of the project, as well as interviews with five women Scholars about their experiences. We used theories of capital (e.g., social capital theory, Yosso’s cultural wealth model) to aid in the development of themes. Overall, Scholars valued the extent to which the project invested in their educational and professional success. Major themes highlight the importance of mentors, positioning Scholars as STEM professionals, and academic support structures in increasing Scholars’ sense of belonging and desire to persist in STEM. Mentors were shown to play a critical role in a.) supporting times of transition (e.g., transitioning from applied to proof-based courses, transitioning from small class sizes at a community college to large enrollment courses at a bachelor’s degree-awarding institution) b.) helping Scholars get “a foot in the door” to obtain relevant work experiences and c.) assisting students in navigating academic structures perceived as barriers to their academic pathway. Scholars also valued project opportunities that allowed students to envision themselves as professionals (e.g., through speakers who talked about their professional journey, by interacting with “like-minded peers” that have similar “goals and drives”) and that positioned Scholars as professionals (e.g., by inviting Scholars to serve as panelists at local events, by giving students funding to attend a STEM conference). Further, Scholars appreciated the project’s efforts to enroll scholars in the same sections of courses, as Scholars saw the value in being able to collaborate with peers that they know. Finally, an overarching theme from these data was that project structures and activities were often successful because they built upon the assets (e.g., aspirations) that Scholars brought with them to college.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1930211
- PAR ID:
- 10540173
- Publisher / Repository:
- ASEE Conferences
- Date Published:
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- persistence, social capital, cultural wealth, S-STEM
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Portland, Oregon
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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