After nearly five years of planning and development, the STEM Center, a collaborative space and resource hub developed by Indiana University (IU) Northwest and Ivy Tech Community College and funded by the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Science Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Articulation Program at the U.S. Department of Education was officially unveiled on Wednesday, November 29. The space is set to be a game-changer for students in both colleges who are interested in STEM careers.
“We envisioned the space as a one-stop shop where students can come in and access all things STEM,” said TRIUNFOS Project Director Kristin Huysken. “We wanted it to be a space where students would feel welcomed and comfortable accessing STEM-specific services as well as support services like tutoring, exploring internships, getting connected to an advisor, and transferring information.”
Many gathered to see the project’s development phase come to fruition. While access to resources will certainly benefit students in the long run, the STEM Center’s effects are already being felt in the classroom.
“Our STEM faculty made the decision that they would engage in faculty development as part of the TRIUNFOS grant,” said Huysken. “We wanted to incorporate more active learning, more high-impact practices, and more cultural competence into our courses, and so our faculty joined with Ivy Tech faculty and, supported through this grant, have gone through a really robust class on how to be a great teacher. We have seen results; grade point averages have gone up and DFW rates – the number of students who earn a D, F, or withdraw – have gone down.”
The STEM Center also provides opportunities for students to become more involved with their peers. Beyond connecting students to resources, the STEM Center will serve as a hub for STEM-based activity.
“We wanted a really welcoming space where students felt they could just work with study groups,” said Huysken. “They could come in and study, chill, have club meetings, all of those things.”
One student taking advantage of everything the STEM Center has to offer is IU Northwest Senior Karla Arreguin. As a double major in psychology and medical communications, Arreguin plans to spend a lot of time with fellow students. She even works as part of the STEM Center’s extensive support network as a student intern focusing on mentoring and community outreach.
“It's exciting because we've been waiting for the STEM Center to be opened to all the students,” said Arreguin. “It's like my sanctuary to work. It’s calm, has all the tools any student needs, and offers the support that you need for you to be successful in school.”
While the STEM Center’s opening is a great reason to celebrate, all involved know that the work is never over. Huysken and the rest of the TRIUNFOS project team are ready to continue improving the offerings available to students by cultivating the things that work.
“TRIUNFOS is a five-year grant. The STEM Center and the programs that run out of it are one piece of the grant, and so what we expect will happen as time goes on is that not only will we have additional programming that we bring on board, but the programs that we already have will grow,” said Huysken. “Part of the job is to make sure that the successful aspects of the grant get incorporated right into the institutional structure.”
None of this would have been possible without the collaboration between IU Northwest and Ivy Tech. The partnership ensures both universities and students benefit.
“Ivy Tech has just been a great partner,” said Huysken. “We partner with Ivy Tech to enhance our transfer programs from Ivy Tech to IU Northwest in the STEM fields. One of the outcomes we want to see from this grant is a transfer program developed in all of our STEM fields. That means developing outstanding transfer programs in the majors that we don't have any for yet and reviewing the transfer programs that we already have to make sure they are providing Ivy Tech students with the information they need.”
The STEM Center is a step in improving the awareness of the educational opportunities available right here in the Region. As students begin to take advantage of the programs and they continue to grow, more opportunities will become available.
Most importantly, the STEM Center gives students a space to connect with each other.
“It is a place where any student can feel safe. It is open to diversity,” said Arreguin. “It will help you succeed if you have the desire to become really a good student.”
To learn more about the education opportunities at Indiana University Northwest, visit northwest.iu.edu.
