Three grants give boost to COCC initiative to encourage student diversity in science programs

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- An initiative to encourage student diversity in science programs at Central Oregon Community College and to promote broader representation in scientific fields in general has gained new momentum, thanks to grant awards from the Bloomfield Family Foundation, the Randall Charitable Trust and the Central Oregon Health Council.

Support comes from a $10,000 grant from the Bloomfield Family Foundation, the second such award from the Portland-based organization, along with a $10,000 grant from the Randall Charitable Trust and $20,000 in aid from the Central Oregon Health Council.

A portion of the funding is being allocated for an outreach program that COCC has developed with a number of Central Oregon rural middle schools, in partnership with the Central Oregon STEM Hub, to bring underrepresented students to the college three times a year for hands-on science learning sessions.

Another portion of the funding will support a one-week summer “bridge” program for incoming college freshmen, to build confidence and connection around science-based programs.

Small stipends will be allocated to faculty who participate in the bridge program or middle school outreach activities, and also to Teresa DeShow, coordinator of the program.

“We’re trying to get students to see, early on, that they can be a scientist,” said DeShow, an assistant professor of biology at COCC. “We looked at the available research to determine best practices for supporting underrepresented students in the sciences, then developed a program tailored for Central Oregon based off of what we found.” 

COCC’s long-running summer high school symposiums, designed for district Latinx, Native American and Black students, which all incorporate academic samplers, have helped serve as a model.

According to a 2021 report from the Pew Research Center, there are significant gaps in workforce diversity when it comes to the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. For instance, the study found that Hispanic workers make up 17% of total employment across all occupations, but just 8% of all STEM workers.

For more information, contact Zak Boone, COCC’s vice president of college advancement and executive director of the COCC Foundation, at zboone@cocc.edu or 541-383-7212.