Planning: stem academy to prepare, retain, excel, and progress: an evidence-based model for success among part-time community college students

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded $199,788 to Maricopa County Community College District on October 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to plan and investigate success factors for part-time community college STEM students.

The project, titled STEM Academy to Prepare, Retain, Excel, and Progress, will recruit and follow part-time STEM students at South Mountain Community College for two to three years through their matriculation. The work incorporates high-touch and high-impact practices including summer bridge programs, undergraduate research, and peer mentoring. Pre- and post-survey instruments will measure the impact of these interventions on student persistence, retention, and STEM identity. The project aims to identify the profile of successful part-time STEM students and document evidence-based practices that improve outcomes for this population, whose success and persistence rates in STEM courses are typically half those of full-time students. Results will inform a broader research study and guide nationwide interventions to improve part-time STEM student outcomes.

Performance occurs in Phoenix, Arizona, with work concluding September 30, 2028. This is a Project Grant assistance type funded under NSF's STEM Education program, which supports development and vitality of the nation's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education enterprise.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving outcomes and success rates for part-time community college stem students. This ityc planning project seeks to investigate the factors that influence part-time stem student success and to increase the number of stem focused graduates. Success and persistence rates in stem courses for part-time students at smcc are typically half that of full-time students. By investigating both high-touch and high-impact practices, the stem prep academy seeks to determine the effect of these evidence-based practices in the field of stem education have on the relatively unresearched part-time student population. IT also seeks to identify new techniques beneficial to part-time students by surveying participants and utilizing the results in future studies. By investigating and understanding the key factors that influence the success of this large and growing student population, intentional interventions and best-practices may be incorporated to improve success rates nationwide. The project recruits and follows part-time stem students at south mountain community college for the duration of their matriculation (two to three years). IT incorporates student experiences by purposeful high-touch and high-impact practices, such as summer bridge programs, undergraduate research and peer mentoring. Pre/post surveys will be conducted throughout the students? Educational experience. These surveys will seek to determine the impact of the employed practices on student persistence and retention and stem identity. The results of the project will help define the profile of a successful part-time stem student and identify other practices that could help improve part-time stem student outcomes. The successful interventions and practices will be incorporated into the scope of a broader research study. The results of this project will be distributed to the larger higher education community via presentations at conferences and publications in education and discipline-specific journals. The NSF iuse: innovation in two-year college stem education (ityc) program seeks to accelerate and advance knowledge about the impact of emerging and evidence-based practice in undergraduate stem education at two-year colleges. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.