Supporting a Seamless Transition from High School through College to Boost Participation in the STEM Workforce

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Norwich University, the oldest of the six Senior Military Colleges in the United States. Over its 6-year duration, this project will provide scholarships to 27 undergraduate students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, neuroscience, mathematics, or physics. First-year students will receive an estimated four years of scholarships. The significance of this project is to bolster the STEM workforce by supplementing these scholarships with comprehensive student support throughout the scholars’ college careers. The project will enhance support for students as they transition from high school to college, increase career awareness, and develop scholars’ data science skills. Scholar mentors will encourage and assist students in engaging in activities such as undergraduate research experiences, outreach projects, conferences, and graduate school preparation. The project will collect data to advance understanding of how these supports impact the retention and graduation of this student population. Norwich University is unique as it educates a diverse student body interested in joining both the military and civilian workforce, thus the project will contribute to the broader society by increasing the number of skilled STEM professionals qualified for professions in the military, private industry, government, health services, and academia. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. It is hypothesized that transition programs are vital for enhancing low-income students' sense of belonging and recognition in the academic community, and early career goal selection with ongoing support helps these students stay committed to their STEM aspirations. Four research goals guide the project team's efforts. First, is to evaluate the benefits of additional support during the transition from high school to college with a particular focus on the benefits of instituting an introductory summer STEM orientation. Second, is to implement a professional development seminar for second-year STEM students and assess its benefit on students. Third, is to investigate the effects of offering a data science certificate on the preparedness of scholars for the workforce. Fourth, and finally, is to measure the impact of improving academic, financial, and career support among low-income students. This project has the potential to advance understanding of how these practices increase recruitment, retention, and graduation of STEM majors, particularly among low-income students. This project will be evaluated externally providing ongoing, timely feedback on strategies and outcomes to make continuous improvements throughout the program's duration. The summative evaluation and research results will be made available through regional and national conferences and publications. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics project, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of 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.