The U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Taking Action: COVID-19 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Challenge asked two-year and four-year colleges to submit their best ideas for systemic solutions to mitigating long-term impacts from the pandemic on DEI in STEM. Entries could be initiatives or ideas aimed at undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral students or STEM faculty.
From a competitive field of entries, NSF awarded first place to Laredo College in the two-year undergraduate STEM category, which included a cash prize of $25,000.
The college’s award-winning entry consisted of its local response to the pandemic, in which the institution focused on students’ mental health and worked to improve access to technology. Recognizing that more students would be starting online courses in an unfamiliar setting, LC created a virtual backpack to help prepare students to take their courses remotely. The college also supported English Language Learners with Spanish-language digital resources throughout the transition to online instruction.
