The SMaRT Scholars for Success Program– Preparing Community College Students for Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent is in high demand with changes in the global workforce and economic growth trends. Community colleges can serve as a bridge of opportunities by recruiting, retaining and preparing students for careers in the STEM fields. However, different financial, personal, and academic challenges exist for community college students. The SMaRT Scholars for Success Program at Northampton Community College is an example of how to help students achieve academic success, engage in a community of learners, transfer to 4-year institutions, and explore STEM career pathways. Many reports have indicated the need for more students, especially under-represented groups such as women and minorities, to enter the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) pipeline to keep the United States competitive in a global marketplace. Predictions for job growth show that STEM jobs will grow at a higher rate than non-STEM fields. The Economics and Statistics Administration of the Department of Commerce (2011) states “Over the past 10 years, growth in STEM jobs was three times as fast as growth in non-STEM jobs.” According to the National Science Board in 2010 only 10% of U. S. science and engineering workers were members of a historically under-represented racial or ethnic group, even though they comprised 26% of the population (National Science Board, 2014). In addition, most STEM disciplines do not attract women in the ratios equal to their numbers in the population as a whole. In 2010 women comprised 28% of the science and engineering workforce, even though they represented half of all college-educated workers according to the National Science Board. Many businesses have to look abroad for employees with the education and skills they need. These businesses have to pay the government for the right to bring in these foreign employees. The National Science Foundation (NSF) uses these monies to fund the Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program. As a funding opportunity with the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE), the S-STEM program “provides grants to selected institutions of higher education to support scholarships for academically talented students demonstrating financial need, enabling them to enter the STEM workforce or STEM graduate school following completion of an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate-level degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics disciplines.” The goal of the S-STEM program is to increase the recruitment and retention of STEM majors, especially among under-represented groups. Northampton Community College received a five-year S-STEM grant in 2007, the SMaRT (Science, Mathematics, and Related Technologies) Scholars for Success Program with DUE Grant 0728464. This grant had three objectives centered on (1) Recruitment, (2) Retention, and (3) Career and Transfer Services. The lessons learned from this grant were used to apply for and receive a second S-STEM grant with a start date of March, 2012. The second grant has a stronger focus on recruitment of under-represented groups and utilizes new approaches to retain students in the program with DUE Grant 1154236. Interested candidates for the SMaRT scholarship contact our institution’s Office of Financial Aid and can submit an online application. In addition to managing the SSTEM project, we select the SMaRT scholars and submit requested demographic information about our student scholars through periodic NSF reporting. This commentary describes highlights of these two grant programs and looks at our successes and challenges.