Shuan McKellar raises his hand during a recent training for STEM tutors.
When Shaun McKellar was growing up, he didn’t develop a
strong background in math and science. After enrolling at Salt Lake Community
College in 2016, he soon discovered the college offered STEM (science,technology, engineering and mathematics) Learning Resources, which he credits
with helping him earn associate degrees in electrical engineering and particle
physics.
McKellar, 21, is currently pursuing bachelor’s degrees in both
disciplines at the University of Utah. “Growing up I never had a strong STEM
background,” McKellar says. “When I got into college, I accepted that I needed
extra help to catch up.” Now, however, the student is the tutor, and he comes
back to SLCC to tutor in the same places where he once sought help.
Student and tutor work together at South City Campus.
Free tutoring through STEM Learning includes help in
subjects like biology, math, chemistry, physics, engineering, biotechnology and
geosciences. Walk-ins and appointments are accepted at learning centers located
on all of SLCC’s main campuses. There are also workshops and concept-based project support and an annual symposium for students to present their research
and projects. STEM Learning Resources helps build students’ self-confidence,
promote critical thinking skills and encourages an active, hands-on learning
environment.
Like a lot of SLCC students who use STEM tutors and
workshops away from the classroom, McKellar had help with homework and projects
and ultimately with passing some classes. He liked visiting the Dumke Center
for STEM Learning at the SLCC Taylorsville Redwood Campus to seek, in his
words, “a palpable academic atmosphere and to be surrounded by people who are
much more learned on certain topics and who could help me achieve more success
in those areas.”
Devan Church helps keep the Dumke Center and others like it
on each of SLCC’s major campuses offering resources students need. “I want
students to achieve their goals academically so that they can achieve their
goals beyond higher education,” says Church, who is a workshop manager for STEM
Learning Resources. His position was created when funding became available in
2016 through a $2.23 million grant from the Department of Education’s
Strengthening Institutions program. Church works with faculty to offer
workshops that help students struggling in math, in particular at the 980
level, to provide review time before tests and quizzes and to offer
concept-based workshops.
Students and tutors collaborate at the Dumke Center for STEM Learning.
STEM Learning Resources at SLCC provides students about 50
paid part-time tutors who are former students, like McKellar, and people of all
ages and professional backgrounds. They work from 10 to 30 hours per week. “Our
tutors are making a big difference,” says Dani Smull, coordinator of the Dumke
and Markosian Library STEM centers on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. SLCC
also has centers at its Jordan and South City campuses and the West Valley
Center. “I hear constantly from students who are very fearful of math – and we
have a lot of students at the college who are fearful of math – say, ‘I
wouldn’t have passed this class without my tutor,’” Smull adds.
The goal now is to increase outreach so that more students
will take advantage of STEM Learning Resources. Renee Mixco, STEM Success
Mentor, is working with faculty members and contacting students directly when
red flags – failing grades, poor attendance – pop up and is talking to them
about tutoring resources and workshops as well as the Math Success Center
located in the Markosian Library on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus.