West Central Reporter

Western Receives National Science Foundation Grant to Assist with New Living Learning Community

Western Illinois University will be offering eight new scholarships beginning this summer, as part of the National Science Foundation S-STEM grant WIU received recently.

Incoming freshman engineering or technology students can apply to become a member of the first cohort in the iCREST program and receive up to $7,000 per year in scholarship tuition for up to four years.

Professor Dave Hunter and Professor Blair McDonald applied for the grant titled "Improving Career Readiness for Engineering Students Through a Mentored Living Learning Community" (iCREST), and received funding to begin a new scholarship program aimed at providing more academic and financial support to students in the School of Engineering and Technology. iCREST students will become part of a small group of peer learners who will navigate their degree programs by working together.

Students in the iCREST program will attend classes together and work one-on-one with a faculty mentor and regularly meet in peer-led study groups, where they discuss career plans, academic schedules, ambitions, obstacles, campus resources and homework; live in a Living Learning Community on campus for their first two years; and begin participating in a paid summer internship with local industries in their first semester.

"This is a great opportunity for a young student to become engaged with their education," Hunter said. "The work experience, tied with learning in the classroom. will benefit the student for a lifetime. Being part of a peer group will help the student stay focused and excited about engineering and technology."

Students must meet the academic and financial selection criteria: to apply, candidates must have earned a high school grade point average of at least 2.75 and qualify for Pell Grant assistance.

For more information on the program, or to apply, visit wiu.edu/cbt/icrest. 

Original source can be found here