For over a decade, the MESA statewide grant has been supporting Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) as one of thirteen university academic support programs in public and private California Universities. The goal of MESA at SSU is to increase the number of historically underrepresented students who pursue and persist in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) related degrees and ultimately, careers.

The 2023 Summer Tinker Academy is a two-week program designed to engage and inspire middle school students through Maker principles, to encourage the exploration and development of technical, mathematical and artistic abilities. For Summer 2023, twenty-four middle school students from across Sonoma County have been selected by CTE Foundation to attend the hands-on sessions to be taught by SSU professors and student assistants in the SSU Makerspace. They will participate in a variety of activities including coding, modeling, crafting, sewing, and building.

This grant supports an expansion of Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA), via four primary components:

1.    Expanding MESA recruiting and support by growing collaborations with CAASE programs (EOP, PUERTA, etc).

2.    Providing incentives for Peer Mentors, undergraduate research, and MESA Honors, to support the financial needs of BIPOC students.

3.    Developing an online interactive guide for student success, which will be tested by MESA students.

For over a decade, the MESA statewide grant has been supporting Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) as one of thirteen university academic support programs in public and private California Universities. The goal of MESA at SSU is to increase the number of historically underrepresented students who pursue and persist in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) related degrees and ultimately, careers.

The research team is particularly motivated to investigate and advance the understanding of how to design, assess and disseminate XR contents and experiences to facilitate active learning in introductory STEM courses at both 4-year and 2-year Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).

This one-time funding will provide stipends to MESA students and partnering faculty at Sonoma State University. The stipends will support students and faculty in the MESA Honors Program, MESA Mentorship Program and the MESA Summer Research Program.

The 2022 Summer Tinker Academy is a two-week program designed to engage and inspire middle school students through Maker principles, to encourage the exploration and development of technical, mathematical and artistic abilities. For Summer 2022, twenty-four middle school students from across Sonoma County have been selected by CTE Foundation to attend the hands-on sessions to be taught by SSU professors and student assistants in the SSU Makerspace. They will participate in a variety of activities including coding, modeling, crafting, sewing, and building.