University of California

The MESA Community College Program  provides academic and social support needed to succeed in science and math, and to transfer to four-year institutions as majors in those fields. A major MESA initiative is to develop a strong peer Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) network for its students. As most community college students are commuters (with many holding jobs while attending school and/or shouldering significant family responsibilities), they lack the benefit of the informal connections developed by full-time students residing on campus while attending four-year institutions. While important to all majors, these contacts play a particularly crucial role for students majoring in STEM fields. The development of an alternative network allows MESA students to obtain the needed support from fellow STEM majors who come from similar backgrounds and face equally demanding challenges. MCCP's peer networks disseminate information about the best ways to study, how to succeed in difficult classes and how to approach complicated coursework.

Latinos comprise over 40% of the students served by the MESA community college program. Most MESA students come from underperforming schools. Most Latino MESA students come from immigrant households and are the first in their families to attend college.