Project Grant 2417341

This $458,371 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) supports a multi-year initiative at Drexel University to develop and assess novel social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions for first-year engineering students. The project aims to address COVID-related learning losses and structural inequities that have left many incoming students ill-prepared for the rigors of university engineering programs. The grant will fund the integration of SEL support and skill development into first-year math and engineering courses, benefiting an estimated 400-500 students annually. Key project activities include implementing a remedial SEL intervention in math courses, developing a preventative SEL-focused first-year seminar, and conducting qualitative research to understand how engineering students acquire these critical skills. The research findings will be disseminated through publications and professional networks to provide broader insights into effective SEL strategies for first-year STEM students.