Students, Teachers, Educational Partners, and Undergraduate Programs in Science, Technology, Engineerings, and Mathematics Career Paths at Lawson State Community College

Lawson State Community College, Birmingham AL

Investigators

Abstract

Lawson State Community College will implement a five-year project to achieve three goals: 1) advance the professional development opportunities available to the College's STEM faculty; 2) link with high schools in order to enhance STEM course preparation and align course offerings with four-year institution requirements; and 3) increase the number of underrepresented persons in the STEM career path. Intellectual Merit: The project is a comprehensive project that will address the issues identified by the College during earlier planning grant activities. Faculty, students, high school teachers, and education partners will be involved in the project activities which will invest these groups in the process and changes. STEM students will be provided internship opportunities during their community college career which is expected to be a positive indicator for matriculation to four-year programs in STEM. Faculty will gain exposure to new instructional methodologies which impacts the quality of the STEM curriculum. The project is also expected to foster a supportive culture among STEM faculty and students as a result of the project. Broader Impact: The project will directly impact the level of preparation of STEM students enrolling at Lawson State and support these students through graduation or transfer. The project will increase the likelihood that Lawson State STEM graduates continuing their education and are well prepared for entering the workforce. The project will result in linkages between the College and high schools, as well as four-year institutions, which will last beyond the project period. The project outcomes will be disseminated to other two and four-year institutions to extend the reach of this project.