Stem Prep Academy

 

STEM PREP Academy

 

STEM PREP ACADEMY

Proposed Student Activities Timeline

Prepare • Retain • Excel • Progress

Planning Note: The proposal describes a two-year development and implementation effort but does not assign specific calendar dates to every student activity. This timeline organizes the activities into a suggested sequence by academic term. Adjust the timing to match the funded project start date.

Timeline Student Phase Activities
Year 1 — Fall Prepare the Program
  • Identify prospective students through SMCC Student Affairs and partner K–12 feeder-school pathways. Recruitment planning and outreach may begin before spring.
  • Faculty and staff refine the student-support model and identify needs in STEM gateway courses.
  • Develop baseline evaluation instruments and plan how student demographic, preparedness, STEM identity, and belonging data will be collected.
Year 1 — Spring Recruit and Prepare
  • Recruit the first cohort of approximately 24–48 students through partner K–12 feeder schools.
  • Share program expectations, participation details, and the summer bridge schedule with selected students.
  • Administer pre-program surveys assessing STEM identity, STEM self-efficacy, academic preparedness, and sense of belonging before the summer bridge.
  • Prepare students for the summer bridge and connect them with program faculty and staff.
Year 1 — Summer PREPARE + EXCEL: STEM Summer Bridge
  • Participate in specially designed STEM workshops to strengthen foundational skills for biology, chemistry, and mathematics gateway courses.
  • Build college-level STEM knowledge and math skills through discipline-specific workshop activities.
  • Practice essential laboratory and research skills.
  • Engage in project-based learning and explore real-world STEM applications.
  • Take field trips to research facilities and interact with researchers.
  • Complete post-bridge surveys on STEM identity, self-efficacy, preparedness, and belonging.
Year 2 — Fall RETAIN: Learning Community
  • Join a cohort-based active learning community during the first semester of college coursework.
  • Participate in peer study groups, faculty and staff mentorship, and team-building and community-building activities.
  • Meet proactively with an academic advisor to discuss progress and barriers.
  • Attend technical science-writing and financial-literacy workshops.
  • Participate in networking events at research facilities and connect with STEM peers and campus resources.
  • Attend SMCC’s annual STEM conference and engage with STEM sessions and workshops. Consider participation in the SMCC SACNAS chapter.
Year 2 — Spring RETAIN + PROGRESS: Continue Support
  • Continue peer study groups, mentorship, advising, and learning-community activities.
  • Participate in additional non-academic workshops and community-building activities shaped by student feedback.
  • Take part in focus groups or conversations about student experiences and support needs.
  • Continue STEM pathway planning with mentors and advisors.
  • Where developed and available, participate in undergraduate research opportunities. The proposal describes these as a future iteration of the project.
Following Year / Ongoing Tracking PROGRESS: Track Outcomes
  • Work with mentors and advisors to finalize an academic pathway and transfer plans.
  • Track enrollment and performance in subsequent STEM gateway courses.
  • Monitor semester-to-semester persistence and transfer to four-year institutions.
  • The proposal’s stated target is for participants to enroll in and successfully complete at least two STEM gatekeeping courses in the year following completion of the Academy.

Evaluation Throughout the Program

Across the planning and implementation stages, the project team will gather qualitative and quantitative data, review student feedback, and use the results to refine the Academy. Student outcomes include:

  • Pre- and post-program changes in STEM identity and self-efficacy.
  • Changes in academic preparedness and sense of belonging.
  • Student performance in STEM gateway courses.
  • Semester-to-semester retention and persistence.
  • Transfer to four-year institutions.

Alignment with the Proposal

This timeline is based on the uploaded STEM PREP Academy proposal, especially the Project Concept and Planning Grant Objectives/Phases sections (pp. 4–6), Surveys to Assess Outcomes (p. 7), and Student Engagement and Development (p. 8). Activities described as future or contingent opportunities are labeled accordingly.