Welcome to Gavilan College STEM

The STEM Academy

APPLY HERE: Fall 2021 STEM Academy Application

This STEM Academy program provides:

-Stipends & scholarships
-Access to the STEM Textbook and Tech Equipment Lending Library
-A personal STEM counselor
-Information on STEM careers and educational opportunities
-Paid interships and conference travel
-Internship and four year university application assistance
-Accerlerated math courses and preparation workshops
-Valuable faculty mentorship
-Community and connection with other STEM students

Be sure to enroll in the qualifying math coursework to secure your STEM Academy membership:

Summer 2021 and Fall 2021 STEM Math Course Pathways (PowerPoint slide)

Read: Student testimonials from the Fall 2019 Calculus Academy

Read: NASA's women on the path to becoming an engineer

Astrophyisicist and Gavilan STEM Alumna interviewed:

GET TO KNOW A SCIENTIST: ASTROPHYSICIST DR. MELINDA SOARES-FURTADO

Dr. Melinda Soares-Furtado mentions Gavilan College in recent interview:

"SC: What might people be most surprised to learn about you?

Soares-Furtado: I don’t know if it is most surprising, but I had a very non-traditional road to academia. I went back to college later in life when I was already a mother. I benefited greatly from the high-quality instruction and student support services offered at my hometown community college (Gavilan College). I think that community colleges are national treasures."

Academic support:

The STEM Center/Math Lab tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (SI) group sessions, embedded tutoring, pre-semester Math Bootcamps/Prep for Precalulus and Calculus Workshops, and mid-semster "Math Refresher" courses will give you additional academic support with the rigor of your STEM courses.

Employment Opportunities:

We hire student tutors for the STEM Center, the Math Lab, as Supplemental Instruction Leaders, embedded tutors who assist within select STEM classes, and as Peer Tech Support ("Tech Buddies") . Training is provided for student workers who tutor in-person as well as online through Gavilan College.

Here are some reasons to be a math tutor and/or an SI leader:

These are paid positions (up to 16/hr).
You get to reinforce your understanding of core concepts. This is extremely useful for any future academic or career goal. The best way to understand something is to explain it to others and help them understand!
Increased confidence and a community of support.
Set your own hours! We work around your schedule.
It's fun! You'll interact with other students and help them learn. It's fun and rewarding for the students AND the tutor/SI leader.

Interested in being a math tutor for the STEM Center/Math Lab? Email Erik Medina at emedina@gavilan.edu

Interest in being an SI Leader (Bio, Chem, Physics, etc)? Email Patrick Yuh at pyuh@gavilan.edu

Accelerated Math Classes:

Get two semesters of math completed in one! Develop confidence and mastery in math to provide a strong preparation for future courses.

Math 235 Accelerated Algebra 1 & 2 (Math 430 & Math 240 combined)

Math 11 Accelerated Precalculus (Math 8A & 8B combined)

Paid Summer Internships:

Students gain valuable work experience doing research with Professors from San Jose State or working in private industry after the second or third year of coursework.

Applicants must be STEM majors who are currently enrolled at Gavilan in Spring 2021.

Summer interns will be paid a $3000 stipend for 120 - 160 hours of work over a 6 - 8 week time frame.

All interns will present the results of their work in a poster-board presentation to Gavilan Community in August.

Read: Explore the panel of insightful guest speakers: The Fall 2020 STEM Symposium

Undergraduate research built on students’ own funds of knowledge by Laleh Coté

Citizen Data Science: Analyze Nature Without Programming by John Hurley

Students listen to peer testimonials on the benefits of having a STEM faculty mentor during the STEM Academy Faculty Mentor meeting.

The STEM Symposium student interns, along with many of their mentors,
shared the morning presenting their findings. More than 20 students participated
in the program this year. News