Activities

  • Mentor+ Advisement
    • In addition to scholarships, the CAPS program provides to scholars Mentor+ advising that encourages students to see their academic work in relation to their family and community. This advisement establishes a consistent long-term relationship with the advisor and provides holistic interest from the advisor (not just academic but also personal and career-oriented).
  • Cohort Gatherings
    • The program arranges a social meeting for scholars to meet as a group with their mentor(s) at least one time per term. At these informal gatherings, scholars and mentors will build a supportive community focused on leadership development and academic, professional, and personal growth.
  • Professional Development
    • Field Trips showing potential workplaces and career role models in their study field will help scholars to stay motivated, connect academic work to real-world professions, and concretize their career vision. Scholars will visit local industry, national labs, infrastructures, public utilities, other research universities, professional workshops/conferences, and engineering construction projects in the Los Angeles area. Field trips will be organized by the program Management team in collaboration with a faculty mentor. 
    • On-campus Seminar/Event Participation Opportunities: The program connects scholars with a series of seminars to provide opportunities for discussions and presentations related to student success (e.g. time management, effective communication), research topics, and more.
    • Professional Conference Opportunities: The program introduces research and internship opportunities to scholars and encourages them to pursue. The program coordinates with ECST faculty and other institutional support programs (e.g the college career placement coordinator and the university career development center) to match students’ interest with available research and internship opportunities.

    • Professional Preparation: In addition, the program will help scholars to build their portfolios, review students’ resumes, and enhance required skills such as research, presentation, and interview skills. This professional preparation support is strategically embedded in all the other activities.