Planning: HSI Project: Supporting STEM Undergraduates through On-Campus Employment and Mentorship

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this planning project aims to support initial conceptualization, planning and collaboration activities that will formulate two new larger-scale NSF proposals, as well as supporting STEM undergraduates at five HSIs through on-campus employment and mentorship at the Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP). On-campus employment has been shown to benefit students’ academic and social engagement; however, many on-campus jobs are not pay-competitive with off-campus jobs and many students lose the opportunity to gain enrichment that on-campus jobs can provide. Supported STEM undergraduates will receive competitive stipends, as well as culturally relevant mentorship (CRM) training and mentoring themselves through peer interaction, program staff, and STEM professionals. As mentors for PREP, students will be in an environment where they are able to apply STEM skills and knowledge and learn the importance of culturally relevant practices in mentoring, creating a positive benefit to all through STEM and personal growth, leading to increased STEM participation and retention. The specific aims of this project are to improve the retention and graduation of students pursuing associate's or baccalaureate degrees in STEM at five HSIs through STEM-focused on-campus employment, to enhance undergraduate STEM education by expanding CRM, and to build capacity for fundamental research in undergraduate STEM education. Data collected from this project will help identify how STEM-focused on-campus employment opportunities during the summer as near-peer STEM mentors for pre-college mentees could improve academic and social capital and college success. Results will be used to develop two larger scale NSF proposals that will expand upon this project’s efforts and scope. Knowledge gained from this project aims to highlight the importance/positive effects of on-campus employment, near-peer mentoring, and networking with STEM peers and professionals during the summertime. The HSI Program aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education and build capacity at HSIs. Projects supported by the HSI Program will also generate new knowledge on how to achieve these aims. 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.