The recruitment process is underway to implement a new $5 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant that will provide scholarships for students pursing computer science degrees. ECC computer science professor Massoud Ghyam is a co-principal investigator for the grant and is working with a team to contact area high schools to promote the program that will offer 64 students in the 2019 and 2020 cohort scholarships totaling $494,080. STEM Program Coordinator Daniela Beltran is currently reaching out to prospective ECC students throughout the spring semester, sharing information and a short presentation. She is also working with ECC groups such as EOPS, TRIO, and FYE. The program is open to new students enrolling in the fall. Applications will be available in the near future, with a deadline of April 30; the priority application deadline is March 15. Students who are interested in the program should contact Daniela Beltran at [email protected] or 310-660-3593, extension 3413.
El Camino College is the second community college in the state and the first in Southern California to partner with the California State University system in creating a computer science degree complete with workforce experience via the Computing Talent Initiative. ECC joins California State University, Monterey Bay; California State University, Dominguez Hills; and Hartnell College to replicate a cohort model four-year computer science bachelor's degree pathway from the community college to the university level. Over the next five years, this program will fund 240 scholarships for high-achieving, financial aid-eligible students who are pursuing associate and bachelor's degrees in computer science.