Gavilan College Awarded $375,000 Grant from U.S. National Science Foundation to advance STEM Education
by Gavilan College on Aug 30, 2024GILROY, CA - The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Gavilan College a $375,000 grant as part of the inaugural Innovation in Two-Year College in STEM Education (ITYC) program. The NSF is investing $14.5 million to support transformative projects that will advance evidence-based practices at two-year colleges nationwide in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
“This funding will empower us to implement innovative support strategies to strengthen our commitment to STEM education,” said Dr. Pedro Avila, Gavilan Superintendent/President. “We are grateful for this recognition and the invaluable support it provides as we continue to nurture the next generation of scientists and engineers."
A total of 35 awards have been made to institutions in 18 states and the District of Columbia. Several projects involve collaborations among institutions. Gavilan’s grant, Collaborative Research: Circle of Champions: Converting Latina/o STEM Students' Social Capital into Academic Capital, is in collaboration with UCLA and University of Pennsylvania.
Jennifer Nari, Gavilan Dean of STEM & Learning Resources will serve as Primary Investigator. Dr. David Argudo, Physics & Engineering Instructor will champion the program, recruiting other Gavilan College faculty for participation. The initial program will run for three years with a goal of serving 750 Gavilan students. Each participant will identify at least four “champions” to support their educational goal. The primary goals of the program are to implement the Circle of Champions Network in Gavilan College's STEM programs, and close or narrow the Hispanic STEM gap at community colleges. Champions can include family members, former high school teachers, mentors from the community, or Gavilan College faculty.
“We are targeting students enrolled in STEM gateway courses such as calculus, first-semester physics and chemistry to implement the program,” said Nari. “I am also looking at how to best fit this program in with existing programs we have including MESA and STEM academies to support all levels of mentorship.”
Supporting Gavilan College are Dr. Bryan Reece, Co-founder of Journey GPS and Luis Chavez, President of First Gen American. Chavez will support the mentoring process, identifying networks of support, connecting students with people beyond their own personal connections. Journey GPS will provide technological support and work with partner organizations, UCLA and University of Pennsylvania on quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
“We're trying to develop a model that scales,” said Reece. “If we can develop a successful model at Gavilan College, the solution can be used at other HSI colleges to help Hispanic students experience greater success in STEM courses and programs.”
The twin goals of the NSF grant program are to (1) center students in the effort to advance innovation, promote equitable outcomes, and broaden participation for all students in STEM education at two-year colleges and (2) enhance the capacity of two-year colleges to harness the talent and potential of their diverse student and faculty populations through innovative disciplinary, multi-department and collegewide efforts.
"Community colleges play a critical role in training people from all parts of the country for a variety of STEM careers including future scientists, engineers, and technicians," said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. "The Innovation in Two-Year College in STEM Education program is essential to how we expand pathways and opportunities so that more talented people from every part of the nation have the opportunity to make their way into STEM. I'm pleased that Congress recognized the critical role of community colleges in the 'CHIPS and Science Act of 2022' and the foundation they provide for educational opportunities. Programs like ITYC are how we build on that foundation to reach more young people who have bright futures ahead of them in the STEM community."
For more details and a complete list of recipients click HERE.
Photo: Jennifer Nari, Gavilan Dean of STEM & Learning Resources and Dr. David Argudo, Gavilan Physics & Engineering Instructor
For additional information contact: pio@gavilan.edu