Three weeks of hands-on STEM coursework at California Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside by 56 high school and incoming college students wrapped up on Wednesday, June 24, when the students presented their work to family members at Familia Day, the culminating event of CBU’s Tres Pasos Summer Bridge Program.
Hosted by CBU’s Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering, Tres Pasos (“Three Steps”) is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded initiative building a pathway into STEM higher education for Hispanic students and other underserved communities across the Inland Empire.
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Three weeks of hands-on STEM coursework at California Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside by 56 high school and incoming college students wrapped up on Wednesday, June 24, when the students presented their work to family members at Familia Day, the culminating event of CBU’s Tres Pasos Summer Bridge Program. Tres Pasos is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded initiative. (Photo courtesy California Baptist University)
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Three weeks of hands-on STEM coursework at California Baptist University (CBU) in Riverside by 56 high school and incoming college students wrapped up on Wednesday, June 24, when the students presented their work to family members at Familia Day, the culminating event of CBU’s Tres Pasos Summer Bridge Program. Tres Pasos is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded initiative. (Photo courtesy California Baptist University)
Familia Day marks the close of the program’s first phase, where families saw what students built, including a hands-on challenge testing student-designed cardboard boats.
The Tres Pasos Program for its second year selected 48 students from more than 110 applicants for this summer’s program, up from 36 participants in its first year, the university said in a news release. The free three-week program is open to incoming 10th through 12th graders and college freshmen from all backgrounds, with priority given to incoming CBU STEM majors.
“Tres Pasos is about more than a summer camp,” Mario Oyanader, professor of chemical engineering and co-principal investigator of the NSF-funded program, was quoted as saying in the news release. “It’s about a student standing in a lab for the first time, exposed to hands-on teaching, and realizing, ‘I belong here. This can be my future.’ That moment of belief is what carries a student from high school into a STEM degree.”
Tres Pasos is a three-phase program. The Primer Paso is a summer bridge program for high school and first-year college-level STEM students. The Segundo Paso includes ongoing faculty mentoring and support for freshman and sophomore CBU students to maintain support and connection as they embark on their studies. The Tercer Paso is a pathway for CBU juniors and seniors, focusing on professional growth, resilience, and leadership with opportunities to mentor younger students and prepare for STEM careers or graduate school.
Tres Pasos sits at the center of CBU’s mission as a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, the university said.
With Hispanic students making up approximately 44 percent of CBU’s student body, the university has invested in programs like Tres Pasos to ensure those students see a clear path into STEM degrees and careers, with Spanish-language support built-in so families can engage fully in their student’s education.
Funded through May 2027, Tres Pasos is supported by a roughly $500,000 NSF grant. CBU plans to pursue a larger, five-year grant to expand the program and add elements including student presentations at national conferences such as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers annual meeting.
