Document Type

Research Brief

Publication Date

11-2017

Abstract

For the past decade, Siena College’s Saturday Seminars for Urban Scholars After-School Program (USP) has brought together approximately 80 students from Albany’s middle schools and 30 Siena students to collaborate on a range of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) projects. The program is conducted on Saturdays during the Fall and Spring semesters on the Siena campus.

Each of 14 annual sessions consists of a 5-hour program divided into morning and afternoon segments. Students work with college mentor-volunteers, who serve as academic guides and models in the program, as well as subject area experts in STEAM and liberal arts topics. Activities include project-based experiences and STEAM content within games that introduce students to academic work in different content areas. Students are provided with busing to the campus and lunch in the cafeteria.

All activities of the program are designed to achieve the following goals:

  1. Sustain and promote the talents and interests of students in STEAM areas.
  2. Promote and maintain high motivation for academic achievement.
  3. Create a program climate that students perceive as highly challenging and appropriately supportive.

Goals 1 and 3 have been addressed by program administrators using student surveys. This research brief focuses on outcomes related to Goal 2 through analyses of attendance and academic performance data from the City School District of Albany (CSDA).

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