About NICs

NICs were social networks of information sharing and collaboration designed to sustain collective attention on common goals. The process of developing goals and setting priorities, in turn, strengthened the networked improvement community, by creating strong partnerships. The STEM + KC NICs provided structure and support for individuals interested in improving the completion rate of STEM degrees and employment rates of STEM graduates, especially for students who are historically underserved. Information exchanges within NICs fostered innovation and knowledge-intensive product or technology design. The STEM+KC NICs were open to all participants in Integrating STEM + KC conferences as well as other stakeholders. Collaborating around shared goals through the NICs, constituents critical to broadening participation in STEM, those focused on increasing STEM retention and completion, and those currently in STEM professions generated dialogues and shared insights that will hopefully influence institutional policies, plans, and regional STEM outcomes for the better.

Integrating STEM+KC Nics*:

NIC 1: Urban Pre-STEM Programs to Increase Underrepresented STEM Graduates

• NIC Champion: Cory Beard

• Focus Area: Student retention

NIC 2: Pathways to Equitable and Accessible Careers in Computing and Engineering (PEACE): Guiding and Supporting Community College Students on their Journey into the Technology Workforce

• NIC Champion: Darran Cairns

• Focus Area: Transfer Students

NIC 3: Strengthening Pathways from High School to 4-yr STEM Degree Attainment: Broadening Student Success

• NIC Champion: Daniel McIntosh

• Focus Area: Student Retention

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NIC 4: STEM Regional College Fair

• NIC Champion: Doug Swink

• Focus Area: Increasing Access between HS and College; STEM Postsecondary Learning

More information about the NIC process:

Timeline:

• Initial Announcement/Call for Proposals – 19 November 2020

• NIC champion applications due – 4 December 2020

• NIC participant applications due – 18 December 2020

• NIC announcements made – 8 January 2021

• NIC launch – 18 January 2021

• NIC work – January – June 2021

• Integrating STEM + KC Showcase – August 2021

Expected Outcomes of the NICs

1. Strategic goal and priorities related to the topic of the NIC.

2. Detailed action plan related to strategic goal.

3. Pilot efforts as appropriate toward toward goal.

4. Presentation at the showcase in August 2021* with continued action steps outlined.

NIC resources

• 1 hour of technical assistance about identifying educational resource projects from Dr. Nicola Sochacka

• Technical assistance from the Integrating STEM conference team

• Frameworks and data toolkits

• Collaboration support resources

• Opportunity to author a paper

• Opportunity for a professional presentation at the Integrating STEM + KC national showcase

• Each NIC participant received a $300 stipend

• Each NIC champion received a $500 stipend

• Each NIC received a small grant of up to $1,000 for use on piloting/implementing/studying promising practices.

How to participate in a NIC (process completed)

• Complete the application to be a NIC champion or participant

• Actively engage with your NIC team from January – June 2021

• Attend the semi-regular Integrating STEM + KC virtual conference sessions that take place throughout February – September 2021

Integrating STEM + KC selected up to 6 NIC champions who formed the NIC from the applicants and supplemented with their own recruiting

NICs varied in size from 5 to 12. Each NIC was comprised such that their participants represented 5 of the following 10 categories

1. STEM student at a community college

2. STEM faculty at a community college

3. non-STEM faculty/staff/administration from a community college

4. STEM student at a 4-year college or university

5. STEM faculty member at a 4-yr college or university

6. non-STEM faculty/staff/administration at a 4-yr college or university

7. teacher or administrator in preK-12 education school or district

8. business/industry

9. civic intermediary/quasi-governmental organization

10. foundation or college student scholarship/support resource

Note: NICs may have had multiple people from the same organization, so long as the 5 from 10 rule was met

Broad-scope NIC topics listed below. NICs were not limited to these topics. Their only limitation was that they were related to better understanding postsecondary STEM completion and how to reduce barriers.

1. First-year experience

2. Transfer students

3. Student retention

4. Social and cultural issues

5. STEM learning experiences

Knowledge translation framework

• Initial contact and framing the issue. Participants engaged in a launch session in January where Integrating STEM + KC provided technical assistance for the NICs.

• Refining and testing knowledge. Participants engaged in structured, collaborative processes for sharing and interpreting data.

• Interpreting, contextualizing, and adapting knowledge to the local context. During the ongoing Integrating STEM + KC workshops, participants gained wisdom from those in the field, shared insights, and engaged in solution-driven dialogue.

• Implementing and evaluating. Participants framed their solutions into action plans that embedded evaluation and monitoring impact.

• Embedding and translating of new knowledge into practice. Participants provided an opportunity to share examples of change in practice, results, challenges, and success.