 Hey, my name is Cheryl and I'm here to talk to you a little bit about a program available on your campus called the STEM Corps program. First things first, what does STEM stand for? STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. So if you've ever considered a major in the STEM field or want to learn a little bit more about what this could mean for you, then stay tuned. So why consider a STEM major? First of all, it's fun. Imagine being able to work on the cutting edge of technology with some of the biggest employers in the world, like National Labs and NASA. In addition, we know that the world needs engineers and STEM practitioners. The projected growth over these next few years is considered to be around 25%. Specifically, within the engineering field, there are over 20 areas of studies to actually choose from. And one thing that you would want to consider also is your earning potential. The average engineering technologist with an associate's degree can make anywhere from 50 to 80 thousand dollars. Whereas an average engineering major with a bachelor's degree can start anywhere from around seventy three thousand dollars in comparison to their non-STEM peers, which can make somewhere around forty three forty five thousand dollars. So those are some things that you really want to consider. So let's take a deeper look into what the STEM core program actually is. Our big goal for you is calculus readiness. So through the STEM core program, you're getting intensive math preparation for calculus. A big feature of this program is the cohort model. So you get to take classes with about twenty five to thirty of your peers who are also in the program with you. And that group of peers get to take their STEM core classes throughout the whole year together in a group. A big plus of this program is that you also get to visit STEM employers on field trips. We're actually getting to get out into the field and see what STEM practitioners are actually doing in in industry. You also get to learn about STEM careers through guest speakers and actually getting to do Q&A and learn a little bit more about what their day to day lives look like in their career paths. Through this program, you're also receiving academic counseling and guaranteed enrollment and all of your STEM core sections. In addition, you're also getting free tutoring and access to paid computer science and engineering internship opportunities at the end of your STEM core year. So the big question is, why should you join the STEM core program? One of our students, Fernanda says, the STEM core provides STEM based projects and experiences I can't get anywhere else. And that's some of the common feedback that we hear from quite a few of our students. So a big plus of the program is that math is made easy for you. So we are getting you calculus ready within one academic year in addition to guaranteed enrollment for your STEM core classes. We understand that math can be difficult to grasp concepts. So with that, we're providing tutoring services and you're getting to take your classes with the same like minded individuals and peers throughout your full academic year. The help you really need. So with this program, we have dedicated staff who's going to be there with you throughout the entire process. You have a student support specialist who's going to help you reach your goals where they'll meet with you on a regular basis and kind of be that go to person for you throughout the program. In addition to that, you're getting individualized STEM counseling. So a counselor who's actually going to help you figure out what classes you should be taking based on what your goals are. And then the small group learning aspect with those that same group of peers that you're going to be with throughout the full year. Seeing STEM in the real world. So through this program, like we mentioned earlier, you actually get to do interactive workshops to gain hands on experiences. So you're taking what you're learning in the classroom and actually being able to gain some hands on skills. You're doing site visits to industry employers like NASA and Northrop Grumman where you're actually getting to get out there and see what the STEM practitioners are doing in the fields. You're also having the opportunity to visit four year universities if transferring to a four year is a goal that you would like to consider. And then lastly, internship opportunities at the end of your STEM core year. Another one of our students Dexter says being in a cohort helps me stick to my goals and stay motivated. And that's something big that we hear from a lot of our students is really being a part of a group in a cohort is a big part of their success in the program. So let's take a deeper look into some of the classes that you might be taking. Here's a sample schedule for from one of our STEM core campuses at Santa Ana College. So you can see in the fall semester, students are taking college algebra. In addition to that, they're taking an introduction to engineering class and their third class that they're taking through the program is an engineering mechatronics class. In the spring semester, those same students then move on now to take trigonometry. They're also taking an introduction to chemistry class and the third class they're taking is a basic mechatronics engineering technology class where they're getting additional hands on skills. So you can see that a focus of this program is also in helping our students gain hands on skills through project based learning so you can see some of the projects here that some of our students have actually completed. And then I keep mentioning but we want to really point out the fact that you're in a cohort so you're in a small cohort and small class sizes and you're getting to learn with your friends. So here a few photos of students from some of our various programs where they're getting to be in groups and really work together throughout the full year. And then here's a glimpse into our STEM core program where you can kind of see some of the activities that our students are actually getting the opportunity to do. So you can see that they're completing hands on workshops. You can see a robotics workshop here, a site visit to the city of Santa Ana. Students actually getting to tour NASA JPL and go into mission control. And then you can see some of our student intern placements at the end of their STEM core year as well. So the application is currently live and if what I've said so far sounds pretty good, then you definitely want to consider applying to the program. So please ask your STEM core campus contact for the link to your campus application. If you have further questions and need more details about the STEM core program, then definitely connect with your STEM core campus contact to set up a meeting and gain more information about the program. We're excited to have you potentially join the program and welcome to the STEM core.