S-STEM Logo Color | on Low-Income STEM Student Decision-Making and Pathways
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Community College
S-STEM Network (CCSN)​

Developing and Sharing Research on STEM Student Decision-Making and Pathways

Mission

The Community College S-STEM Network (CCSN) connects and supports researchers and practitioners in conducting and translating research on how academically talented, low-income students navigate STEM pathways into evidence-based practices, programs, and policies.

Our Work

CCSN’s work examines the underlying processes behind students’ decisions as they navigate STEM pathways. It examines how elements of the S-STEM programs, the institutions themselves, and students’ attributes influence these decisions. By studying both the students and their environments, this work will help inform future policymaking around pressing issues like enrollment, retention, and transfer in STEM programs at community colleges.

PROJECT GOALS

The Community College S-STEM Network (CCSN) observes S-STEM programs and the students in them at participating community colleges across the United States. Over five years of initial work, the Hub hopes that the study findings will reveal why different students choose a STEM education, what aspects most influence low-income students’ decision-making, and how S-STEM programs can become more equitable in terms of student success.
  • Generate and amplify research on low-income community college S-STEM student decision-making and pathways through student and grantee surveys, systematic reviews, and case studies
  • Share research outcomes with the S-STEM community and national stakeholders through networking and proposal workshops, leadership groups, and research-to-practice clinics
  • Promote a collaborative and engaging S-STEM research community through partnerships and fellowships