GP-IN: Cape Cod Community College Research Opportunities for Scientific Engagement in Ocean Sciences at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

This project will contribute to solving the problem of supporting authentic research experiences to increase retention of 2YR college students in STEM through a partnership between Cape Cod Community College (CCCC) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The partners will work collaboratively within the Cape Cod Regional STEM Network (CCRSN) Learning Ecosystem to provide meaningful research opportunities, professional development resources, and mentoring to both students and educators.

The focus is on ocean sciences and engineering, two sectors of the region’s growing Blue Economy that are rapidly expanding and require a greater workforce. This work will increase ocean science and engineering skills and capacity among CCCC students through hands-on research experiences, peer-to-peer mentoring, and professional development opportunities, while also encouraging students to transfer to a four-year university, obtain a degree in a STEM subject, and continue on in an ocean science or related geoscience field.

The team will advance the understanding of how to effectively integrate support services with authentic research experiences for community college students that help them persist in seeking degrees and careers in STEM fields. Student research will also contribute to the understanding of the ocean, pushing the boundaries of knowledge about the ocean to reveal its impacts on the planet and people’s lives, thus raising awareness of the need and value of fundamental ocean research.

This project will work towards accomplishing the following objectives: 1) provide significant, integrated research opportunities for community college students in ocean sciences at WHOI through paid, non-residential research experiences during the summer as well as in the fall semester in a credit-bearing course; 2) provide comprehensive evidence-based supports for all student participants to increase students’ STEM identity and pursuit of STEM and ocean science and engineering career pathways; and 3) form a community of practice for the Cape Cod and MA South Coast region that establishes networks, fosters collaborations, and supports early exposure to the ocean sciences and engineering in local education systems. The described interventions will help broaden participation and diversify the workforce in ocean sciences and engineering, while engaging the public in ocean science literacy.

The synergistic partnership developed between a non-profit research institution and a community college can serve as a model for other organizations and 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.