STEM Starter Academy

The goal of SSA is to recruit, ready, retain and graduate a diverse body of community college students earning STEM certificates and degrees and transferring to 4-year STEM programs or entering the workforce. The UMass Donahue Institute (UMDI) serves as the external evaluator to determine SSA impacts and student outcomes.

Background

The STEM Starter Academy (SSA) program is an initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) that began in 2013 through the leadership of Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and support from the Massachusetts Legislature. In partnership with the Commonwealth’s community college system, the STEM Starter Academy aims to recruit, ready, retain, and graduate a diverse body of students earning STEM certificates and degrees who go on to transfer to 4-year STEM programs and/or enter the workforce. The University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute (UMDI), under contract to the DHE, is engaged as an independent evaluator of the SSA initiative to provide assessments of program practices and student outcomes.

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The Importance of STEM in Massachusetts

Jobs that require a strong foundation in STEM education are increasing in number, expanding into new fields and transforming traditional careers. Massachusetts needs a robust, diverse, and growing STEM workforce to sustain our economy and advance the Commonwealth’s reputation for innovation, globally. Community colleges are a critical source for Massachusetts's STEM-ready talent pipeline.

SSA is changing the landscape of pathways to STEM careers by engaging students from communities and groups that are underrepresented in the current STEM workforce. This includes people of color, women, adult learners and other students who may not previously have considered STEM fields to be of interest or accessible to them.

Many community college students are uncertain of their skills, potential, and career interests and need to attain positive educational outcomes that reinforce a commitment to higher education. Too often, students are unaware of available support resources or how to access these resources to promote their success. SSA provides a suite of intentional support services to promote equitable success outcomes for underrepresented student groups.

Massachusetts needs STEM education programming that attains relevant scale and serves students across the Commonwealth, sustainably. SSA has developed a collaborative learning community of program administrators, faculty, student leaders, and employer partners who are on-course to define, implement, and share best-practices - affecting segment-wide, system-level and labor-market aligned outcomes.

Evaluations and Outcomes

The goal of SSA is to expand the pipeline of students who are aware of, interested in, and prepared to pursue rigorous certificate and degree programs at Massachusetts community colleges, leading to careers in STEM fields. Three key strategies are employed to achieve this goal, (1) engage a more diverse population of students from groups underrepresented in the STEM workforce and from underserved communities across the commonwealth, (2) promote positive, equitable outcomes through the design and deployment of intentional supports, (3) replicate and sustain the impact of SSA through best-practices, at scale, statewide.

• Year 6 Annual Evaluation Report (2020)
• Year 6 Report Appendices (2020)
• Equity and Diversity Report (2020)
• Impact and Value Report (2020)

The DHE has partnered with the UMass Donahue Institute to evaluate impacts and outcomes associated with the STEM Starter Academy grant. The Donahue Institute provides formative and summative feedback on program development and outcomes, as well as targeted technical assistance. The Donahue Institute collects feedback from participants and administrators through surveys, interviews, select site visits, and concise structured reports. The evaluation supports DHE’s efforts to develop evidence-based best practices, to promote the use of best practices at participating institutions, and to disseminate information about these practices to the broader STEM community.

Past reports are available by request to Allison Little.

Programs & Contacts

Use the contact information and website links below for questions about STEM Starter Academy, or to find a program near you.

Department of Higher Education	David Cedrone [e-mail] Allison Little [e-mail]
UMass Donahue Institute	Jeremiah Johnson [e-mail]
Berkshire Community College	Julie Hannum [e-mail]	Program Website
Bunker Hill Community College	Joye Thaller [e-mail]	Program Website
Bristol Community College	Kristin Almedia [e-mail]	Program Website
Cape Cod Community College	Bridget Burger [e-mail]	Program Website
Greenfield Community College	Deidre Murphy [e-mail]	Program Website
Holyoke Community College	Melissa Paciulli [e-mail]	Program Website
Massasoit Community College	Michael Bankson [e-mail]
MassBay Community College	Valerie Kapilow [e-mail]	Program Website
Middlesex Community College	Josh Felch [e-mail] Rebecca Newell [e-mail]	Program Website
Mount Wachusett Community College	Linda Scullane [e-mail]	Program Website
Northern Essex Community College	Carolyn Knoepfler [e-mail]
North Shore Community College	Walter Stone [e-mail]	Program Website
Quinsigamond Community College	Darcy Carlson [e-mail]	Program Website
Roxbury Community College	Hillel Sims [e-mail]
Springfield Technical Community College	Reena Randhir [e-mail]	Program Website