The Emerge Scholars Program: Preparing Students for an Innovative Future

South Florida State College, Avon Park FL

Investigators

Abstract

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 South Florida State College (SFSC), a comprehensive community college and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Over its 6-year duration, the ESP will provide scholarships to 40 unique students who are pursuing an associate of science (A.S.) degree in engineering technology. Degrees are a specialization in advanced manufacturing. First-year and transfer students will receive up to two-years of scholarship support. The project aims to increase persistence in STEM through a "Guided Pathway" model that includes cohorts, faculty mentoring, and success coaching. Scholars will have the opportunity to work on industry projects with local manufacturers as well as capstone experiences. A significant outcome of this project will be to assess the Guided Pathways model, which is predicted to increase student success in diverse STEM students from rural populations. The project will also contribute to the institution’s understanding of the main factors that influence students’ self-efficacy and persistence in completing a two-year engineering technology degree. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. The four specific aims are to: (1) increase affordable pathways from high school to a two-year degree and then to a four-year institution or STEM career, (2) improve educational equity among students from underrepresented groups, (3) increase post-secondary credential-attainment levels, and (4) raise social mobility. The Regional Demand Occupation List identified the engineering technology major as a high priority and more recruitment of students into the degree is needed. The project will investigate the extent that the collective STEM high-impact practices operating in the context of Guided Pathways framework contribute to success of students from low-income, rural, underrepresented minority communities in engineering technology programs. The study will control for mediating effects of race and first generation by comparing cohorts of scholars to non-scholarship-eligible engineering students. The dissemination plan includes internal sharing of results and practices with the college's leadership team and faculty, as well as external dissemination to peer institutions and similar programs. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, 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.