Career Launch in Engineering Scholarship Program (Career Launch)

Regents Of The University Of Idaho, Moscow ID

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of the Career Launch in Engineering Scholarship Program (Career Launch) will be to significantly reduce the number of hours the S-STEM Career Launch scholars need to work outside of school as a means to help retain them to graduation and reduce time to degree completion. Career Launch will also create a systematic peer-mentoring program through the three cohorts of Career Launch scholars. This project will address the need for highly qualified STEM professionals in industry, especially in the Pacific and Inland Northwest. Idaho is largely a rural state; however, a variety of high tech companies have large facilities within the state or surrounding areas, and they have an ongoing need for highly trained STEM professionals. This project will develop new recruiting pathways, retention, and support mechanisms for students, and placement efforts for graduates that will enable the University of Idaho to make a significant difference in terms of the quality and quantity of STEM professionals available to these industries. The focus of the project will be on decreasing or eliminating the time that Career Launch students must spend at external jobs during the school year as well as increasing student support through peer and faculty mentoring and enrichment activities. Career Launch has three measurable objectives: (1) reduce the number of hours worked outside of school by a significant amount; (2) build a systematic mentoring program that will create a sense of community for the students; and (3) retain to degree completion a minimum of 22 Career Launch Scholars. The program objectives will be achieved through (1) identification of high-quality students, (2) cohort development, (3) peer-mentoring program implementation, (4) engineering academic achievement, and (5) outcome-oriented evaluation. Specific components include peer-mentoring and cohort-building activities such as social, research, and orientation activities. Scholars will become peer-mentors in their second year and form a college-wide peer-mentoring program. This project aligns with several of the goals of the NSF Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) hence it is receiving partial co-funding from that program.