Goal

The IINSPIRE Alliance goal is to double the number of underrepresented minority (URM) STEM graduates in the alliance within five years to 350 graduates and to build a foundation for greater increases in future years.

Objectives

1. Community-based and student recruiting: Inform teachers, counselors, parents and students in Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska about IINSPIRE-LSAMP and increase their awareness about STEM careers. Engage current alliance students having interest and potential in STEM and increase their awareness about STEM majors and careers. Collaborate with community-based recruiting models within the alliance.
2. Bridge programs and transitions: Leverage and create initiatives that assist students in their transitions from high school to college and from community colleges to bachelor-granting institutions. Connect students with peer mentors.
3. Faculty engagement and inclusive pedagogy: Facilitate faculty collaboration and peer groups across the alliance to share inclusive pedagogy and mentoring practices that lead to greater student success.
4. Student research opportunities, mentoring, and training: Connect and support students with mentored research opportunities. Organize research training experiences for alliance students to earn a research certificate.
5. Mentor training: Provide training and resources for mentors who supervise undergraduate research projects.
6. Project management, communication, and institutional integration: Organize and manage IINSPIRE-LSAMP team members and activities to achieve project goals. Leverage institutional resources and partnerships, and use alliance and institutional data to implement effective programs based on institution-specific needs.
7. Assessment and evaluation: Track student participation and enrollment statistics. Assess alliance-wide and institutional outcomes and use evaluation results to inform and improve practices.