CAMP-YES (Career Advancement Mentoring Program for Young Entrepreneur and Scholars)

The University Of Central Florida Board Of Trustees, Orlando FL

Investigators

Abstract

Preparing highly qualified Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates who are well prepared for the workforce is a national challenge. The University of Central Florida (UCF), the second largest university in the nation with more than 11,000 students majoring in STEM fields is building upon the prior, successful, Young Entrepreneur and Scholar (YES) program. The expanded Career Advancement Mentoring Program for Young Entrepreneurs and Scholars (CAMP-YES) includes various graduate school preparation activities, a wide variety of internship opportunities to include mid-and large-size companies, and a host of academic and entrepreneurial learning opportunities to help launch new business ventures in partnership with the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) at UCF. Strong industry letters of support from Lockheed Martin, Disney World, Siemens, Duke Energy and others define a network of employers who are committed to providing mentors or advisory board members for the (CAMP-YES) program. CAMP-YES creates a direct S-STEM pipeline through three formal pathways, the Research Path,the Internship Path, and the Entrepreneurship Path, to either the workforce or graduate school. A wide array of enhanced educational activities is added. The advantage of offering these opportunities and experiences through one program is to create a one-stop, cohesive, structured learning community for students to explore career pathways and develop their professional identity. Students stay in a Path or switch Paths to explore their professional interests and gain real-world experience to help make informed decisions about their career or education plan with guidance from their faculty or industry professional mentors. Research Path students participate in the Graduate School Preparation Academy. Internship and Entrepreneurship Path students participate in any of the activities that interest them. Entrepreneurship Path students register with Blackstone Launchpad, an entrepreneurship advising service supported by a $1.4 million grant to UCF from the Blackstone Foundation. The project evaluation plan involves formative and summative assessment instruments to ensure that all project outcomes are met in a timely manner. A mixed method approach is used to assess the effectiveness of the proposed educational strategies in fulfilling the desired learning outcomes from both educators' and learners' perspectives. The effectiveness of persistence to graduation efforts and preparation for transition to the workforce or graduate school is evaluated. Summative program evaluation in year five will be conducted by external evaluators. An education research component of CAMP-YES will examine how students perceptions change over time in terms of how they see themselves as becoming a professional in the field, and how they feel they are accepted as a professional in the field.