STEM Education Innovation Programs

Submit a Program Description » The goal of this database is to serve as a searchable collection of effective practices and programs that support improving undergraduate STEM education. Use the text search and the boxes at the right to narrow the collection based on particular aspects that you are interested in.

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Results 1 - 10 of 40 matches

CCHF Chemistry Summer Undergraduate Research Program (CSURP)
Travis York, APLU
CSURP is a program for undergraduate students, majoring in chemistry or chemical engineering, interested in conducting supervised summer research. The program is supported by the Center for Selective C-H Functionalization (CCHF), which is a network of 23 academic and industrial research laboratories at 15 partner institutions throughout the country. The CCHF is one of eight National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Centers for Chemical Innovation.

Program Components: Supporting Students:Student Engagement, Undergraduate Research, Mentoring Program, Scholarships, Grants, Workstudy, Professional Preparation
Target Audience: First Generation College Students, Undergraduate Majors, Underrepresented Minority Students
Point of Intervention: Major/Department

LAUNCH: Learning Communities
Travis York, APLU
Learning communities (LCs) are opportunities for students to actively participate in their education. Learning communities connect students with others of similar interests or backgrounds, enrich the learning process and promote greater student success. Creating a rich learning environment, learning communities emphasize relationships and community building among students, faculty and staff. LCs usually feature small group interaction, common intellectual experiences, and mentorship from peers and/or faculty. Students gain insight into the context for course material, develop a social network and support, are exposed to new experiences and develop their critical thinking skills.

Activity Types: Teaching Circles/Learning Communities
Program Components: Supporting Students:Academic Support, Learning Communities, Mentoring Program
Target Audience: Undergraduate Majors, First Generation College Students, First-year College Students, Undergraduate Non-Majors, Underrepresented Minority Students
Point of Intervention: Institution

Engineering Career Awareness Program (ECAP)
Travis York, APLU

Program Components: Outreach:Student Recruiting, Supporting Students:Mentoring Program, Bridge Program, Professional Development:Diversity/Inclusion, Supporting Students:Scholarships, Grants, Workstudy, Tutoring, Academic Support, Undergraduate Research, Learning Communities
Target Audience: Underrepresented Minority Students, K12 Students, First-year College Students, First Generation College Students, Undergraduate Non-Majors
Point of Intervention: College/School
Institution Type: Doctorate-granting Universities:Highest Research Activity

UC Davis Bridge to the Doctorate Program
Travis York, APLU
The UC Davis Bridge to the Doctorate program is funded by the National Science Foundation's Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP). The LSAMP program assists universities and colleges in their efforts to significantly increase the numbers of students matriculating into and successfully completing high quality degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in order to diversify the STEM workforce. Particular emphasis is placed on transforming STEM education through innovative, evidence-based recruitment and retention strategies, and relevant educational experiences in support of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native Pacific Islanders.

Activity Types: Teaching Circles/Learning Communities
Program Components: Supporting Students:Tutoring, Learning Communities, Academic Support, Mentoring Program, Scholarships, Grants, Workstudy, Outreach:Public Outreach
Target Audience: Graduate Students, First Generation College Students, Undergraduate Majors, Underrepresented Minority Students
Point of Intervention: Major/Department

Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA)
Travis York, APLU
The Health Sciences & Technology Academy increases the number of African American and other underrepresented students in West Virginia who pursue degrees in health sciences and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, thereby increasing the number of health practitioners and advocates in the medically undeserved communities of West Virginia. HSTA helps West Virginia high school students succeed in health care and other STEM-based undergraduate and graduate degree programs. We marshal the efforts of hundreds of mentors―teachers, community members, and higher-education faculty, staff, and students―to create a framework that supports children facing social and financial challenges in obtaining a diploma and furthering their education.

Activity Types: Conferences, Workshops
Program Components: Supporting Students:Professional Preparation, Mentoring Program, Bootcamp, Student Engagement, Professional Development:Pedagogical Training, Supporting Students:Internships
Target Audience: K12 Students

Learning Environment and Academic Research Network (L.E.A.R.N.)
Travis York, APLU
A program that invites science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students to become a part of a supportive learning community. F-L.E.A.R.N. is for students entering UCF from high school. T-L.E.A.R.N. is for students entering UCF from a state/community college. L.E.A.R.N is for , students must be incoming freshman or transferring from a state college, who will start in summer or fall and major in one of the following disciplines: -Engineering and Computer Science -Science (Biology, Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Math, Physics, Forensic Science, Psychology, and Statistics) -Optics and Photonics.

Activity Types: Teaching Circles/Learning Communities
Program Components: Supporting Students:Learning Communities, Undergraduate Research, Mentoring Program, Scholarships, Grants, Workstudy
Target Audience: Undergraduate Non-Majors, Undergraduate Majors, First Generation College Students, Underrepresented Minority Students, First-year College Students
Point of Intervention: College/School

Teaching Rubric for Tenure Process
Chad Brassil, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Developed a teaching rubric as a faculty in order to reduce variance among tenure cases.

Program Components: Institutional Systems:Incentive/Reward Systems, Evaluating Teaching, Evaluating Promotion and Tenure
Target Audience: Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Institution Administration
Point of Intervention: Major/Department
Institution Type: Doctorate-granting Universities:Highest Research Activity

Developing and implementing institution data dashboards to drive course transformation
Shanna Shaked, University of California-Los Angeles
We are working with institutional research folks, deans and other interested faculty to develop and implement institutional data dashboards that can be used to foster conversations and interventions to improve teaching.

Activity Types: Teaching Circles/Learning Communities, Workshops
Program Components: Professional Development:Curriculum Development, Pedagogical Training, Student Assessment, Institutional Systems:Evaluating Teaching, Supporting Students:Student Engagement
Target Audience: Non-tenure Track Faculty, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Institution Administration
Point of Intervention: Course
Institution Type: Doctorate-granting Universities:Highest Research Activity

Building the capacitiy for a robust STEM Teacher Preparation Program
Katherine Chen, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
The Teacher Preparation Program (TPP) in the STEM Education Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a distinctive program where WPI undergraduates earning a bachelor's degree in science, mathematics, or engineering can also obtain an initial teaching license in the state of Massachusetts, all within four years at the university. We are conducting design-based research on our teacher preparation program and local school system, and developing the infrastructure for our teacher candidates to be effective STEM teachers in high-need schools.

Program Components: Supporting Students:Cohort Program, Professional Preparation
Target Audience: Pre-Service K12 Teachers, Undergraduate Majors

Early College High School and STEM Academy: Strategies for Breaking the Generational Poverty Cycle in Rural America
Gary E. Briers, Texas A & M University
School-wide Early College--for ALL high school students at Roscoe Collegiate ISD (RCISD)--and STEM Academy designation have led to four private-public partnerships in STEM-related enterprises. More than 90% of RCISD's seniors complete an associate of science degree at high school graduation. Simultaneously, students earn industry-recognized certification in STEM fields as FAA-licensed UAV pilots, veterinary assistants, health care workers, welders, and/or computer technicians/network administrators. Because students earn a college parallel associate degree (versus an associate of applied science"often considered a "terminal degree"), graduates can and do continue to matriculate into STEM majors for baccalaureate degrees. These results are in a public school district with fewer than 30 graduates annually in a rural community of fewer than 2,000 residents. Two additional goals remain to be achieved: 90% of those associate degree/high school diploma recipients will earn baccalaureate degrees and 90% of those will earn a graduate or professional degree.

Activity Types: Workshops
Program Components: Professional Development:Advising and Mentoring, Pedagogical Training, Curriculum Development, Outreach:In-Service Teacher Training, Outreach to K12 Teachers and Students, Presentations/Talks
Target Audience: Pre-Service K12 Teachers, English Language Learners, In-Service K12 Teachers, Undergraduate Majors, First Generation College Students, Transfer Students, First-year College Students, Underrepresented Minority Students, K12 Students
Institution Type: Doctorate-granting Universities:Highest Research Activity