The Silicon Valley ACS has a mentoring program for prospective chemistry transfer students. The main objective of this Paving the Path (PTP) program is to help students, particularly those from underrepresented groups in STEM, transition from community colleges to 4-year institutions. Over the years, the program has included 1-on-1 mentoring as well as group forums on financial literacy, building confidence and community, personal and career development, and professional networking. A popular annual event is the Paving the Path Career Panel composed of science professionals who began their own educations at community colleges. The career panel activity is expanding to include in-person, pizza-fueled watch parties on multiple campuses to interact with the virtual panel and to benefit from networking.
Does your campus participate in Paving the Path? Students at both community colleges and as transferees at 4-year schools are invited to benefit from this program. Reach out to us at ptp@svacs.org with any questions, comments, or suggestions so that we can better serve our chemistry community! For maximum reach, we particularly appreciate contact with faculty and staff.
