Active Grant Programs

Active Grants

Supported by the Center for Academic Resource Development

 

 

v      CyberWATCH (Cybersecurity: Washington Area Technician and Consortium Headquarters) -- Funded by the National Science Foundation.

CyberWATCH Regional ATE Center, a consortium of ten community colleges, eight universities and federal and state agencies and businesses, addresses the need for a greater and better educated workforce in computer and network security. This is to be accomplished by developing and improving IS/IA curricula, advancing faculty professionally and technically, developing a student pipeline from middle school to graduate studies, attracting students into the field through activities such as Cyber Defense Competitions, internships, field trips, and by forming robust partnerships with area businesses and agencies.

For more information contact:  Dr. Vera Zdravkovich., 301-322-0452

 

v      Summer Science Institute -- Funded by the Prince George’s County Public Schools.

A ten day workshop for 100 fourth and fifth grade teachers provides hands-on, inquiry-based instruction to support the newly adopted PGCPS science curriculum and the recently revised Voluntary State Curriculum (VCS) in science. Teachers use materials to explore concept areas including astronomy, biology, chemistry, Earth science, environmental science, and physics.  One day encompasses a field experience and one covers lesson planning.  Special emphasis is placed on activities that dispel misconceptions and enhance science process skills. Internet resources appropriate to each area are investigated. Faculty instructors include our own faculty members: Dr. Christine Barrow, Dr. Darin Bell, Dr. Barbara Gage, Dr. Scott Sinex, Professor Martin Tillett, and Professor Tom Wysocki
For more information contact: Dr. Barbara Gage, Program Coordinator, 301-322-0430

 

v      Infant and Toddler and Pre-School Pre-Service Training Continuation Grant -- Funded by Maryland State Department of Education.

Prince George's Community College will reach out and support first time Early Childhood Education (ECE) students, high school tech-prep students, individuals with 90 hours of non-credit hours who want credit courses, and students who have begun taking ECE courses at PGCC, to have as many of these individuals as possible complete a literacy workshop, as well as the Child Growth and Development, Curriculum Development in ECE, and Infant and Toddler courses. Students will fill out applications to become ABC Scholars.  The Literacy Workshop will precede the taking of the college placement test thereby enhancing the probability of advancing directly to credit classes.  A Program Coordinator will mentor students and service as their advisor.  Students will be accepted into the program based on application responses that indicate academic readiness and strong interest in working with young children.  ABC Scholars will receive scholarships and will not be charged for tuition, fees, or books.

For more information contact: Project Director, Dr. Patricia A. Basili, 301-322-0780

 

v      Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) -- Funded by the National Science Foundation.

Howard University, the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) are joining together in this Partnership for Research and Education in Materials (PREM).  The shared goal is to systematically identify and support students from under-represented minority communities.  The PREM team combines sophisticated approaches for advanced research with demonstrated success in recruiting, supporting and training African-Americans in materials science and engineering.  The PREM team has three theme areas that join together, in new and exciting ways, established research projects in the JHU Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and at Howard.  They are transport properties in Bi nanowires; transport properties in InN nanowires; and fabrication of dipolar nitride nanowires for nonlinear optical elements.  The PREM will support materials education through design of new courses at PGCC and Howard and by creation of web based guided inquiry modules, the broad dissemination of which will inform students about the impact materials have on their lives and attract them to materials related studies. A successful Howard/Hopkins/PGCC PREM will build a pipeline for materials research careers among African Americans.

For more information contact Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Scott Sinex, 301-341-3023

 

v      Carl Perkins, Title 1C Grant Funding -- Funded by the U.S. Department of Education through Maryland State Department of Education. 
Under the Perkins Act, federal funds are made available to support career and technical education programs and services.  Uses of funds include teaching and learning materials, equipment and software to keep up with industry standards, curriculum development or modification, faculty professional development, career counseling and guidance activities, and supplemental services for special populations.  The grant funding for FY06 and FY07 provided support for software upgrades for accounting, computer information systems (CIS), engineering technology, business management, visual communications, and heath programs; professional development for accounting, business management and CIS faculty; upgrades of computer equipment; hands-on tools for the theatre and entertainment technology program; specialized equipment for CIS, engineering technology, forensic science, nursing and allied health programs; educational materials for early childhood education; computer technician and tutoring support; a peer-to-peer tutoring program for accounting students; and vocational Support Services. 
For more information contact Project Director,  Ms. June Fordham, 301-322-0414

v      RN- Partnership Activities for Recruitment and Retention Success (RN-PARRS) – Nurse Support Program II Grant -- Funded by State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Health Services Cost Review Commissiion

Partnering with Doctors Community Hospital (DCH) and MedStar Health, Incorporated (MedStar), PGCC will increase enrollments in the LPN to RN Program at its Largo campus from 26 to 48 per year and begin a satellite LPN to RN program at MedStar’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore with projected enrollments of 15-20 per year. Increasing the capacity of the nursing program concomitantly requires attention to retention. Employing multiple strategies institutionalized in a Nursing Collegian Center, PGCC projects a decline in attrition from 40% to 17% in the LPN to RN programs over a 5-year period.  In addition, PGCC will implement a strategic plan to decrease the attrition in its traditional RN curriculum from 37-16%.  Increased enrollments and retention of nursing students in the program will produce a meaningful contribution to the workforce shortage of bedside nurses by increasing graduates by 50% or 250 additional RN graduates over a five year period (from approximately 94 graduates to 156 in

Year 5). 

For more information contact Project Director, Professor Vivian Kuawogai, 301-341-3033

 

v      STEP Up to Success -- Funded by the National Science Foundation.

The goal of this NSF S-STEM project is to increase the number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) graduates by 62 and the number of transfers to four-year institutions by 60 over four years.  A minimum of 20 scholarships per semester are provided to talented and needy STEM students in the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Information Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Security, and Engineering Technology to encourage full-time enrollment until degree attainment and/or transfer.  Research shows that students enrolled full-time are more likely to transfer within four years; students with grants, such as scholarships, are more likely to graduate; and community college students who transfer with an associate degree are more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree.  Thus, scholarships tied to a full-time enrollment requirement are likely to increase graduation and transfer rates.  Activities in the program include specialized workshops presented by faculty and by student support services and financial aid staff on a variety of topics.  These workshops foster valuable skills to better prepare the scholars for higher level studies and a professional life in their chosen STEM field.   There are also optional team project competitions and research with conference presentation opportunities.  Financial aid and Student Services support structures and workshops, mentoring, the STEM Collegian Center learning community, and research opportunities also support student success.

For more information contact Project Director, Dr. Nadene Houser-Archield, 301-386-7593

 

 

v      A SySTEM’s Approach to STEM Education -- Funded by the National Science Foundation.

A SySTEMs Approach to STEM Education provides funding for the STEM Collegian Center as the focal point for increasing STEM enrollments, majors, certificates, associate’s degrees and transfer rates to baccalaureate degree programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.  The project uses three well-documented educational methodologies to help students succeed in STEM fields: (1) an interdisciplinary approach to improve the depth and breadth of learning in interrelated STEM disciplines, (2) a mentored learning community on campus, and (3) the integration of research and education to promote student understanding and excitement in STEM disciplines.  Center students are mentored throughout the program.  Each student is required to complete a civic engagement activity either on or off campus and they are encouraged to complete a capstone activity, many of which are team-based.  Among these faculty-mentored capstone and research activities are the “Build Your Own Computer Weekends” which foster collegiality. Students are then encouraged to participate in research and internship opportunities at 4-year institutions and present their results at an annual conferences.  Merit-based, financial performance awards are available to active Collegians who succeed in STEM courses. The Center also sponsors fieldtrips to locations such as NASA, the NSA Cryptology Museum, and Patuxent Wildlife Center, to local universities and to firms that hire STEM graduates. Faculty also benefit from a variety of professional development activities including interdisciplinary course and module development, visits to local universities on Discipline Days for presentations on the latest theory and research and for laboratory visits, and an annual Crossing the Line Conference on interdisciplinary topics in STEM fields. 

For more information contact Principal Investigators, Dr. Christine Barrow, Professor John McClure, Professor Kameswari Tekumalla or Professor Raymond Vavrek, 301-322-0420