Summer 2022
Results
Aspiring Scholars Summer Bridge Program (Berks) [PY5]
The Aspiring Scholars Summer Bridge Program at Berks assists African American, Latinx, first-generation, and/or low-income first-year students in their transition from high school to college. The program seeks to introduce and acclimate students to campus and the college environment in a way that encourages success in the classroom, on campus, and in the community. Through this one-week residential summer bridge program, participants receive classroom-based instruction focused on academic skills, self-reflection activities, and interactive team building activities--serving to support self-awareness, communication, and decision-making skills with the ultimate goal of increased retention and 4- to 6- year graduation rates.
Changing the Future Penn State: An Empowerment Program to Promote Leadership Diversity (University Park) [PY1]
We aim to deliver the third iteration of a 6-month leadership program that is successfully preparing passionate and motivated leaders at Penn State. We are empowering a network of faculty who are committed to Penn State’s strategic aspiration to Advance Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity to successfully achieve their vision. By focusing on participants who do not perfectly fit the traditional leadership schema, we are also equipping an underserved group of faculty for success in leadership, scholarship, service, teaching and mentoring.
CLEO Pre-Law Summer Institute 2022 (Carlisle) [PY3]
Penn State Dickinson Law was again selected to host the Council on Legal Education Opportunity, Inc. (CLEO) Pre-Law Summer Institute. The 2022 program is from June 6 to 30, 2022. CLEO is the longest-serving national organization committed to diversity in the legal profession. The Pre-Law Summer Institute—a multi-week program launched in 1968—is designed to introduce students to the skills, knowledge, and values essential to their success in law school, including self-directed learning, legal reasoning, writing and the Socratic teaching method. Multicultural graduating seniors or graduates who plan to attend law school in fall 2022 are eligible to participate. The 2020 and 2021 programs we hosted were the first in its 54-year history to be fully online, which is the plan for 2022 as well.
Community Diversity Conference (University Park) [PY1]
The Community Diversity Group (CDG), Office of Inclusion, Equity and Diversity for Outreach and Online Education, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in Finance and Business and potentially other academic and administrative units, and in partnership with Borough of State College wish to provide a fourth all-day Community Diversity Conference, a needed educational opportunity for those directly involved with shaping the overall cultural climate. Penn State recruits many talented employees, and this conference aims to nurture a more respectful and inclusive community climate that benefits them and their family members so employees decide to make our community their home.
Emerging Healthcare Professionals: Science of Surgery (Hershey) [PY1]
Over the last several decades, numerous studies and reports have shown that, despite the growing minority population in the U.S., the rate of representation is not correlated in the medical field. This is especially true in surgical specialties (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7647517). Emerging Healthcare Professionals (EHP) is a one-week educational program that will provide a unique opportunity for high school students from diverse backgrounds to explore the field of surgery and meet healthcare professionals from underrepresented backgrounds, in hopes of increasing overall interest, knowledge, and desire to pursue medical education. We also aim to increase interest and application to programs at Pennsylvania State University (PSU).
Integrating Diversity, Equity & Inclusion into the Curriculum (IDEIC), Part I (Great Valley) [PY1]
Penn State Great Valley’s (PSGV) faculty, working with the Diversity Action Council (DAC), will begin a multi-year Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program to increase awareness, community engagement, and knowledge sharing which will enable DEI integration across our professional graduate curricula. The proposal aims to take a comprehensive approach to DEI by fostering diversity discussions within our community. DEI advocates will participate in structured best practice interviews, recorded for use in synchronous or asynchronous curricular/co-curricular settings. Outcomes include building a DEI curricular map based on the video library, classroom facilitation guides, and case questions.
Maymester in Mexico: Languages, Culture and Community-Based Learning (University Park) [PY1]
A faculty-led study abroad program develops equity-minded dispositions, leadership and advocacy through experiential learning in multicultural/lingual communities. The program offers ethnographic inquiry within Spanish-speaking and indigenous communities as students examine their own cultural, racial, and linguistic biases to build understanding of systemic oppression and the interpersonal and global impact of language. A reciprocal relationship with Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca provides a learning environment aligned with sustainable development goals centered on social equity and collaboration. EOPC funding will support students from underrepresented groups to broaden access to study abroad experience. Experience includes a Spring semester course and a course offered in Mexico (4 credits).
Medical School Preview and MCAT Review (Hershey) [PY1]
The diversity within the field of health care at present does not mirror the diversity of the communities served. One perspective outlines several potential factors, including lack of academic preparation and lack of concordant mentors (‘Breaking Barriers for Underrepresented Minorities in the Health Professions,’ 2018). The Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), an accrediting body for medical schools, established guidelines in 2009 to build pipeline programs that support minority students in preparing for a medical doctorate. The proposed pipeline program will supplement undergraduate academic preparation, as well as provide meaningful access to mentors. It is also hoped to increase interest and application to programs at Penn State College of Medicine.
Pre-health Summer Bridge Program (University Park) [PY1]
The Pre-health Summer Bridge Program in the Eberly College of Science aims to support the transition of incoming first-year students with marginalized identities who also have interests in pursuing careers in health professions. This 6-week summer residential program will connect students to pre-health resources/advising, receive academic instruction in math and chemistry, learn essential college success skills, and be immersed in healthcare environments. With a goal of fostering a diverse scientific community and improving the retention rate of students in science, the program ultimately seeks to impact the future healthcare workforce to better address healthcare disparities in underrepresented groups.
Sophomore Jump Start (Summer 2022 Sophomore Jump Start Residential Career Intensive) (Abington) [PY1]
The Abington Sophomore Summer Jump Start program will serve undecided first generation and/or low-income rising sophomore students. The program will promote engagement and retention for rising Sophomores at PSU Abington. Students will spend three nights in the residence hall and participate in shared meals and recreational events to build friendships and community. They will attend a series of hands-on Career and Professional Development workshops providing the structure and tools needed to make informed major and career decisions.
Sustainable Bridges from Campus to Campus: Retention Models for Underrepresented Engineering and Science Students (University Park) [PY3]
This proposal to serve 192 students represents a consortium of bridge and transition programs for engineering students at Penn State University Park Abington, Berks and the broader Commonwealth Campuses that focuses on diverse groups underrepresented in engineering. These programs serve engineering students to create communities of belonging and increase student success. Bridge programs increase grades in the first math course, first year GPA, and retention in STEM. For example, underrepresented Engineering students who started at UP and who participated in Summer Bridge had a 68% graduation rate in Engineering compared to 44% for underrepresented Engineering students at large.