Student-Driven STEM Research Project: Innovative Inquiry in a Community College Setting

The JCCC STEM Scholars Program offers an innovative way for community college students to engage in undergraduate research without needing specific course enrollment. This program allows students to design and develop their own research projects, focusing on four key aspects: identifying a STEM topic of interest, reading scientific literature, formulating a research question, and finding data sets or researchers. Students present their projects at the JCCC STEM Poster Symposium. The program includes a one-credit hour Introduction to Research Methods course. Benefits include expanding students' knowledge, fostering interdisciplinary understanding, ownership of projects, professional communication skills, and presentation experience. This model is cost-effective, replicable, and empowers students to see themselves as future researchers, providing an intellectual and psychological boost for their academic journey.

Innovators

• Beth Edmonds, Professor, Mathematics
• Suneetha Menon, Director, Science Resource Center