Collaborative research: conference: innovations in two-year college stem education: building capacity and advancing the community

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Carleton College $569,577 on September 15, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to develop and implement the second Innovations in Two-Year College STEM Education (ITYC) Summit, a multi-day conference running through August 31, 2028.

Carleton College's Science Education Resource Center, in collaboration with Highline College and North Seattle College, will organize a conference convening awardees from the IUSE: Innovation in Two-Year College STEM Education program across STEM disciplines to share expertise, ideas, and innovations with prospective principal investigators and NSF program officers. Wrap-around activities include a pre-summit program for new awardees, an interactive webinar series to strengthen the national community engaged in two-year college STEM education, and an emerging topics workshop. The project builds on the first ITYC Summit to develop a robust community of two-year college STEM education researchers, foster collaboration across institutions and disciplines, and expand understanding of innovations in two-year college STEM education. Performance occurs in Northfield, Minnesota.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by generating knowledge about effective evidence-based practices at two-year colleges that increase student success, strengthen undergraduate research, and expand pathways to the stem workforce. Highline college, north seattle college, and the science education resource center at carleton college plan to develop and implement the second innovations in two-year college stem education (ityc) summit, a multi-day conference that brings together awardees for the iuse: innovation in two-year college stem education (ityc) program from across stem disciplines to share expertise, ideas, and innovations with each other, prospective principal investigators, and NSF program officers. Wrap-around events include a pre-summit program for new awardees, an interactive webinar series to strengthen and expand the national community engaged in two-year college stem education, and an emerging topics workshop. Building on the success of the first ityc summit, the project intends to further develop a robust community of two-year college stem education researchers and provide a forum for discussing current and future research focused on stem education at two-year colleges. This project represents a significant opportunity to increase engagement of two-year colleges with the national science foundation and build the capacity of two-year college faculty to strengthen stem education in the nation. Ultimately, this project benefits the nation by positively affecting student learning in stem at two-year colleges, expanding the stem workforce, and increasing scientific literacy. The goals of the project are to build capacity and community among two-year college faculty and other stem stakeholders; advance understanding of innovations in two-year college stem education; foster collaboration across institutions, disciplines, and funded projects; and investigate conditions under which community-building activities support improved project leadership, innovation, and educational outcomes. The project plans to implement three interconnected activities: a three-day in-person ityc summit with a pre-summit program for new awardees, five interactive webinars, and a virtual emerging topics workshop focused on transformative issues. Using interactive learning designs that emphasize networking, collaborative inquiry, reflection, and knowledge synthesis, participants share project outcomes, discuss implementation challenges, identify effective practices, and develop resources for the broader community. The project plans to assess the effectiveness of each activity through formative and summative evaluation using surveys, participant feedback mechanisms, and analysis of outcomes related to learning, community development, leadership, and engagement with NSF opportunities. Dissemination will include an open-access website, recorded webinars, a summit report, workshop products, and other publicly available resources. The project is expected to generate new knowledge about effective strategies for supporting stem education innovation, leadership, project management, evaluation, and community building within the two-year college stem ecosystem. 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 practices 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.