HARTSVILLE, SC (September 21, 2021) - The National Science Foundation will highlight Coker University's work to ensure the success of low-income students in STEM education efforts as part of its "Yes We Must: NSF Dissemination Event" this week.
NSF will host a webinar on The Power of Community for STEM Student Success: Four Yes We Must Coalition member Schools Describe the Strategies and Impact of their NSF SSTEM Grant for Low-Income Students.
Coker University is part of an NSF-funded collaborative approach to address the issue pronounced gaps in persistence in STEM between low-income students and their more affluent peers. Coker has invested in a national collaborative effort with Ferrum College, Mercy College, Saint Elizabeth University, and the Yes We Must Coalition (YWMC), a consortium of 43 private colleges and universities (members must enroll 50% or more of Pell-eligible students) to enact meaningful efforts to close these gaps.
Dr. Joseph E. Flaherty, professor of biology at Coker University and director of Coker’s NSF-Supported Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, leads the effort.
On Thursday, September 23, and Thursday, November 4, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm ET Dr. Flahery and other Principal Investigators for the grant will describe the success, as well as challenges, of developing and implementing independently the same set of interventions and shared activities, a collaborative endeavor that has made community-building – internally and across institutions -- a central outcome and affected notable increases in student retention, academic performance, and students’ sense of belonging.
The September 23 meeting will describe this work and the November 4 meeting will offer the opportunity to explore how this grant may have application to other campuses and grant proposals and be responsive to specific areas of interest requested by the September 23 participants.
Interested individuals can register in advance for this webinar here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/
