Pacific Alliance for Supporting Individuals with Disabilities in STEM Fields Partnership (Pacific Alliance)

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

The "Pacific Alliance" for Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) project will increase the numbers of individuals with disabilities (IWD) in STEM postsecondary education programs and ultimately the STEM workforce in Hawai`i. The Pacific Alliance will employ a Community of Practice (COP) model as they provide students with disabilities (SWDs) STEM mentoring, academic skill interventions, research experiences, and internships. The primary institution, the University of Hawai`i at Manoa (UHM), will engage SWDs in feeder high schools on Oahu and Hawai`i Islands, SWDs at Honolulu Community College, Windward Community College and Hawai`i Community College, and SWDs at UHM and the University of Hawai`i at Hilo. The partnership team will employ evidence-based practices and promising interventions to advance students through critical junctures to degree completion and into the workforce or graduate STEM degree programs. The following objectives will be addressed by the Pacific Alliance: 1: Increase the recruitment of IWD in high schools on Oahu and Hawai`i Island who enroll in STEM degree programs at partnering 2 and 4 year institutes of higher education (IHE) by 20% per year (on Oahu, from 170 to 423 over 5 years; on Hawai`i Island, from 40 to 58 over 2 years). 2a. Increase the graduation rates (associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees) for STEM students with disabilities in Oahu based community colleges and university partner institutions by 10% per year from 10 graduates with Associates degree in STEM to 16; from 60 graduates with Bachelors degree to 97; from 12 graduates with Master?s or higher degrees in STEM to 19 over 5 years. 2b. Increase the graduation rates (associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees) for STEM students with disabilities in Hawai`i Island community colleges and university partner institution by 25% per year, from 5 graduates with Associates degree in STEM to 8; from 3 graduates with Bachelors degree to 5; and from 0 graduate with Masters or higher degrees in STEM to 1 over 2 years. 3: Increase successful entry (employed) rates of Alliance graduates (high school, associate, baccalaureate, and graduate) into STEM employment by 5% (from a baseline of 150 graduates to 191 over 5 years).