Issue 1, Fall 2017

Spotlighting Projects

STEM TP² + S²E² a Successful Formula for Future Teachers

Summer 2017 marked the third annual Summer Science Exploration Experience program, also known as S²E², at Mt. SAC. The summer program - part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Teacher Preparation Program (STEM TP²), a three-year, $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation – hosted a group of 28 middle school students to participate in a four-week, immersive science exploration experience which included activities in Histology (the study of the microscopic structure of tissues), the creation of BioDiesel (plant-based, combustible energy), and Robotics (the design, construction, operation and application of robots), among other mind-boggling, unforgettable experiences. Following the experience, a parent of a participating middle school student commented, “This program is engaging, didactic and fun. Hands-on science topics conducted by top notch educators and brought to a level that awakes curiosity in future scientists and engineers.” The activities were directed by Mt. SAC faculty and students from the Natural Sciences division.

STEM TP² is led by Mt. SAC chemistry professors Iraj Nejad and Charlie Newman who are also Principal Investigators for the NSF-funded project being conducted in partnership with UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and the Walnut Valley Unified School District. STEM TP² was designed in response to the demand for highly-qualified, credentialed teachers in STEM fields. The project targets Mt. SAC STEM students who have demonstrated an interest in teaching at the middle and high school levels. STEM TP² provides these students advising, mentoring, teaching experience, financial aid, academic support and enrichment activities designed to improve teaching and learning.

STEM TP² has followed a successful approach that develops Mt. SAC STEM students into competent researchers and potential teachers by assigning them to research projects based on students’ major and research interests. Selected students conduct six weeks of full-time funded research opportunity at UC Irvine or another college.  These experiences help STEM TP² students acquire important skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and improve their communication skills – all of which will help them in the laboratory and the classroom. One student commented, “Being a part of the program has truly solidified my goal of becoming a teacher ... And I am confident enough to know that I can do great things for students [in] science and math courses.”

With the program in its final year of implementation, thoughts have turned to possible next steps to continue this model of STEM teacher pipeline development. The Principal Investigators, project partners and Mt. SAC leadership are considering the possibility of applying for a follow-up grant from NSF. Taking evidence collected from STEM TP² the group will be looking at the potential to apply for additional NSF funding to develop a STEM Teacher Preparation Center at Mt. SAC, that will involve more secondary and post-secondary education partners in an integrated approach to train and develop more teachers in STEM fields. Such a proposal, if acted upon, would build upon STEM TP² successes and potentially help many more Mt. SAC students take the path toward STEM education; and help Mt. SAC lead the nation in STEM teacher preparation – stay tuned!

Spotlighting People

The Grants Office would like to recognize and spotlight Mt. SAC faculty, administrators, staff and students who turn plans and ideas from mere words on a page into impactful action.

In our inaugural issue, we’d like to spotlight Mt. SAC’s 2017 Outstanding Administrator Award recipient Lisa Rodriguez, PhD. Lisa is Project Director for Mt. SAC’s Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions grant (a U.S. Department of Education Title V grant) entitled Building Pathways of Persistence and Completion. The grant is in its final year of implementation, and we asked Lisa for 10 things we didn’t know about you…

1. I am a Leo. Elvis died on my 11^th
2. I was once a child model for Buffums department store in Pomona, (LOL).
3. I played softball and soccer for 20 years – high school, college, and co-ed. I played women’s soccer in La Verne for 3 years with Mika Klein from Facilities; it’s a small world.
4. I am an amatuer photographer: https://drrodriguez.wordpress.com/32-years-of-photography/
5. I have a son who is about to graduate from Mt. SAC next Spring and transfer to a local university to study Psychology
6. My dream car is Speed Racer’s Mach5
7. I make videos using Snapchat. Here is a video I made for Jim Jenkins’ retirement celebration in the Summer of 2017: https://tinyurl.com/farewell-JJ-2017
8. I cried a tear of joy when Will & Grace returned to NBC
9. I have a picture of myself as Rosie the Riveter, which Photoshopped, and I had put on a T-Shirt, that I wear when I speak to at risk teenage girls in the community or at colleges on panels. 
10. My favorite comedian, nay, my spirit animal, is Iliza Slesinger: https://www.iliza.com/bio/

Spotlighting Resources

Beginning a search for grant-funding can be as daunting a task as any part of the grant development process. As with many things we now take for granted, the process of searching for grants is a lot easier thanks to the efficiency of internet searches. Nevertheless, with little or no context, the amount of information available can be overwhelming, so we’d like to narrow down the search for community college-related grant funding by breaking these down into three common sources for funding: State grants; National (federal) grants and private (foundation) grants.

State grants, in our case California state grants, for community colleges generally come from two sources – The California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) or the California Department of Education (CDE). As the agency names imply, the CCCCO provides resources and support for all 114 community colleges in California, while the CDE provides resources and support for K-12 schools and programs. Nevertheless, funding from both agencies may support projects outside their typical scope, such as the Adult Education Block Grant program which is funded through the CDE, but is used to fund community college components of Adult Education consortia. State grants typically address state issues such as job training, teacher quality, and access to higher education.

National grants are funded with federal tax dollars and usually come from government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Labor, the National Endowment for the Arts, etc. Funding from national grants typically target issues that are national in scope, such as the achievement gap, equity, and skills training. Competition for federal grants is greater than state grants, in that educational institutions (including, 2-year colleges, 4-year public and private universities, and others (such as non-profit educational agencies) across the country compete for a limited amount of funds.

Private grants are generally funded by philanthropic foundations with specific objectives. For example, the LA84 Foundation funds track and field instructional clinics and promotes the annual Munchkin Run during the Mt. SAC Relay event. Private grants are generally more limited in scope than both state and federal grants; and because they are not sourced from public tax-payer dollars, tend to be a little less restrictive than state or federal grants in their spending guidelines.

Mt. SAC currently is the lead agent or partner in ten state projects, ten national projects and two private projects. Our new Grants Office website links to the most common search engines for each of these types of grants. For more information on grant funding sources or to discuss a particular project, please contact the grants office.