Glendale Community College (GCC) is focused on helping minority students soar. The Skills, Opportunity, and Achievement through Research (SOAR) grant was awarded to GCC by the American Psychological Association. SOAR supports a summer psychology research workshop for underrepresented, ethnic minority high school students. The multi-pronged approach introduces students to opportunities in STEM-related fields like psychology. Students will work on research projects that will ultimately increase their research knowledge and skills.
GCC faculty hope to increase students' confidence and self-efficacy. This targeted educational practice has shown remarkable results in supporting student success. "The Psychology Department has been engaged with the national conversation in higher education and psychology around issues of diversity equity and inclusion," said Dr. Julie Morrison, GCC Psychology Department Department Chair and Professor. "We have begun to address these issues with our current students, but we have not engaged in outreach efforts that affect prospective students."
However, that is about to change. The SOAR program will recruit 16-20 minority high school students to increase college retention and graduation rates. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to earn college credit. Students will be paired with faculty mentors from the GCC Psychology Department to work on student-directed, small group research projects over ten weeks. "We will provide training in research methodology, data analysis, and dissemination of results. This allows students to see and understand the applications of research," said Dr. Lisa Degiorgio Worthy, GCC Psychology professor. "SOAR provides an opportunity to integrate the American Psychological Association's guidelines on undergraduate learning outcomes to basic research methods in psychology."
Nearly 43 percent of GCC students are members of a minority group representing more than 50 countries, 29% percent of those students are Hispanic. Thirty-eight percent qualify for need-based financial aid. The SOAR program grant arrives during a critical time to bridge the educational divide for first-generation and ethnic minority high students. Following this initial grant, the Psychology Department plans to find a sustainable funding source for this program.
GCC will serve its direct community and further its research on how impactful supportive education can be. Worthy knows this first hand. "I had an opportunity like this presented to me early in my college preparation, and that experience and mentoring helped me see that a graduate degree and a Ph.D. were possible."