LACCD Colleges Awarded $24 Million to Support Latino Students in STEM

Over the next five years, four community colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) will each receive $6 million in grants from the United States Department of Education, in an effort to support Latino students pursuing STEM careers.

Through the department’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM Articulation Program, the following institutions will receive grants: East Los Angeles College (ELAC), Los Angeles City College (LACC), Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC) and Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC). LACCD is the largest community college district in the country and the four colleges serve students with large Latino populations.

According to a statement from LACCD, the grants will fund programs that “increase self-efficacy and develop model agreements between two- and four-year universities,” including:

  • ELAC’s Jardin de STEM Project: ELAC boasts the largest Latino enrollment in the state (80 percent), and the majority of its students enrolled in STEM classes are Latino (75 percent). The program identifies students interested in STEM careers and introduces extensive coursework, research labs, workshops and more.
  • LACC’s STEM Pathways Program: LACC will partner with feeder high schools and California State University, Los Angeles to develop a “robust STEM pipeline and transfer culture,” in an effort to help students start preparing early for careers in STEM.
  • LAHC’s STEM STEP (Success, Transfer and Equity Program) offers mentorship opportunities to students pursuing STEM careers. Additionally, the CC will establish an alumni association to connect students and alumni working in STEM, as well as a $100,000 HSI STEM endowment “to support long-term success.”
  • LAVC’s PASO (Promoting Awareness of STEM Opportunities): The program will provide academic advising and peer mentoring services; reimagined chemistry and physics courses; and an annual summer camp to help Latino and low-income students complete STEM degrees.

To learn more about the HSI STEM Articulation Program, visit the U.S. Department of Education site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

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