Sheila E. Lange, Ph.D. - US grants

The "AccessSTEM: The Northwest Alliance for Students with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - Phase II (AccessSTEM2)" project will increase the associate, baccalaureate, and graduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree attainment of individuals with disabilities in the Seattle, WA region. The primary institution, the University of Washington (UW), is partnering with Bellevue Community College (BCC), Seattle Central Community College (SCCC), and all high schools within the Seattle Public Schools system to accomplish this goal.

The AccessSTEM-Phase 2 Alliance will increase the associate, baccalaureate and graduate STEM degree attainment of students with disabilities by attending to the following four objectives:

1. Implement changes within awardee and partner postsecondary institutions (UW, BCC, SCCC) to make STEM programs more welcoming and accessible to students with disabilities (e.g., more accessible websites and science labs, STEM publications that encourage the participation of students with disabilities);

2. Create and expand engagement of stakeholders (precollege STEM educators, disability services, veteran associations, projects that broaden participation in STEM, and industry and career services) in fostering STEM education and careers that are welcoming and accessible to people with disabilities;

3. Implement evidence-based practices (e.g., mentoring, peer support, internships) to increase numbers of individuals with disabilities moving through critical junctures to STEM associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees and careers; and

4. Support and expand an online resource center that shares research and promising practices worldwide.

Colleges and universities in the three-state region of Washington, Oregon and Idaho are proposing to form the Pacific Northwest Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PNW LSAMP). This Alliance will enable educators and advocates from science centers, pre-college programs, community colleges and four-year institutions to leverage their resources and existing relationships to increase minority participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors. The projected demographic shifts in these three states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington present an extraordinary opportunity for colleges and universities to greatly increase the diversity of students earning STEM degrees. Each state has committed substantial resources to efforts to increase degrees granted in STEM as part of economic development initiatives.

Intellectual Merit
To take advantage of this opportunity and reach its goal of doubling the number of STEM bachelor degrees granted to underrepresented students, the Pacific Northwest Alliance will develop and/or strengthen programs and services related to the following priorities:
1. Increase pathways to college for URM students while strengthening their interest in pursuing STEM careers;
2. Create a culture and community of success for URM STEM majors on four-year college campuses to improve retention and graduation rates; and
3. Expand opportunities for URM STEM majors to participate in campus-based and national undergraduate research experiences.

PNW LSAMP partners will implement best practices in STEM diversity initiatives that have been disseminated by existing LSAMP programs around the country including early outreach and recruitment, community college transfer assistance, supplemental instruction, mentoring, summer bridge programs, and undergraduate research experiences. In addition to participation in a joint annual research conference, each of the community college and 4-year institutions has committed to establishing PNW LSAMP centers on their campus that will serve as visible and accessible support systems for underrepresented students with an interest in STEM

Broader Impacts

The Alliance will address the national and regional imperative to increase the number of degrees granted in STEM by connecting institutions of higher education with precollege and science advocacy programs. The Alliance partnership will provide seamless transitions for students as they proceed on the pathway from high school to college and from community colleges to 4-year colleges. The diversity of institution type in the Alliance will supplement student access to summer bridge and orientation programs, tutoring and mentoring relationships, and undergraduate research experiences. The Alliance will further leverage its efforts through the inclusion of science centers that serve as important portals to the public and already have a number of established stellar programs targeted to raise student interest in STEM.
The Alliance will also encourage collaboration between the many broadening participation programs funded by the National Science Foundation that exist on member campuses, including Noyce Fellowships, SSTEM/CSEMS, STEP, and ADVANCE. The synergy created by bringing all of these diversity-related programs together will augment institutional transformation on each campus.