Research, Education and Financial Literacy Excellence for Minority-focused En...

P120A190085

Presented in: 2022 (see original presentation & discussion)

Grade Level: Undergraduate

Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK), a public, Minority-Serving Institution with 67% Hispanic student population, received funding from U.S. Department of Education MSEIP to conduct a transformative project focused on improving student learning outcomes, educational benefits, and awareness and knowledge of financial literacy and professional development for TAMUK engineering and science minority students, especially women. The project is centered on improving students’ quality of work in STEM curricula, career awareness and readiness, and financial literacy through three core activities: Capstone Design Enhancement (CDE), Summer Research Internship (SRI), and Financial Literacy and Professional Development (FLPD) programs. The project's goals are to: 1) Enhance TAMUK engineering and science students’ interests and performance in their curricula and preparedness for future careers through streamlined education, and 2) Improve TAMUK engineering and science students’ professional and personal skills to become responsible and productive citizens. The project expands its reach by enhancing capstone design experiences of senior students, who also share their learning experiences with freshman students in a university success course. The SRI impacts TAMUK sophomore and junior students and community college students through an intensive three-week program focused on integrated research and internship experiences. The FLPD is seamlessly integrated into the CDE and SRI programs to help TAMUK minority students to become informed, thoughtful, and productive individuals.