Grant Helps Students Pursue STEM Careers
Government and private industries are experiencing a shortage of employees trained in STEM-related fields (science, technology, engineering and math) to meet the demands of the labor market. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)*, University of Houston-Clear Lake aims to address this shortage and increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students earning degrees in STEM fields. To help UHCL achieve this goal, the U.S. Department of Education awarded UHCL an HSI-STEM grant in the fall of 2016 through the HSI STEM Grant and Articulation Program.
*The U.S. Department of Education defines HSI as a higher education institution that has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic.
About the Grant Program
Pathways to STEM Careers: A University-Community College-Industry Partnership is a grant program that enables UHCL to develop and enhance support services and strategies to increase student success among Hispanic and other low-income students in STEM fields. It also allows the university to develop model programs for Hispanic students’ successful transfer from two-year Hispanic institutions to four-year institutions in STEM fields of study. UH-Clear Lake received more than $3.7 million for the program to be distributed from 2016-2021.
The goal of the program is to:
- Increase program retention rate and number of graduates in STEM fields.
- Develop model transfer and articulation agreements in STEM fields with area HSI colleges.
- Develop computer science 7-12 teacher certification degree programs.
- Provide culturally responsive professional development opportunities for college faculty and high school STEM teachers.
- Provide paid opportunities for students to conduct scientific research supervised by UHCL faculty, and gain practical on-the-job experience via internships.
Participation Requirements
To participate in the various STEM programs that are funded by the grant, you must:
- Be enrolled at University of Houston-Clear Lake
- Have a stated interest in a STEM field, or be pursuing teacher education in a STEM field
- Be Hispanic/Latino OR reside in a low-income household (Pell Grant eligible)