Suchergebnisse

The project, Stern2STEM, aims to advance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education through the preparation of student veterans to pursue baccalaureate STEM degrees and support the re-employment of these veterans into the Department of Defense (DoD) and the wider defense support industry. The program builds on the training that veterans have received in highly skilled technical areas, both in the classroom and "on-the-job", to develop system level expertise in their respective technical disciplines. Key components of the program include: (1) establishing a mechanism for outreach and recruitment; (2) providing leveling, tutoring, mentoring, and support for students; (3) teaching and learning through proven pedagogical practices and through sound academic advising; (4) partnering with the DoD community to facilitate student career placement in the DoD STEM workforce; (5) providing workforce development for DoD STEM professionals. This paper will discuss the academic challenges that student veterans face while in higher education and the current STEM pipelines as students move through their college to professional careers. The early impact of academic tutoring, professional advising, mentorship, career placement, and recruitment of current service members into STEM disciplines through involvement with Stern2STEM will be discussed. Through Stern2STEM's systematic interventions, the project has the potential to have a significant impact on the broader STEM education community as many of the principles, lessons learned, and tools developed will prove valuable for institutions which have a large population of student veterans.

Veterans, through their active service, frequently receive training in highly skilled technical areas. However, they may lack a theoretical background in underlying engineering principles. They also need additional support with the transition from a highly structured military environment to an environment with more ambiguous time constraints and different sorts of responsibilities. Moreover they are facing challenges which are specific for their student population. Therefore, enabling multiple mechanisms which would support them and provide them necessary guidance are especially important at universities with large veteran populations such as at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Hence, there is a need for programs which build on the specialized training that veterans received and aid in their academic journey. This paper will introduce three pilot programs for advancing engineering education for military veterans focusing on forming a support base for veterans to assist them in overcoming traditional educational barriers.