Ongoing efforts across the U.S. to encourage K-12 students to consider engineering careers have been motivated by concerns that the workforce pipeline for this profession is shrinking. Enlightening K-12 teachers about engineering is one strategy to encourage student interest in the discipline. The Enrichment Experiences in Engineering…

Summer Bridge Programs (SBP) have demonstrated success for underrepresented students in STEM fields. However, a review of published reports of these programs suggests mixed and some negative results with very few programs having been subjected to rigorous evaluations (Kallison & Stader, 2012; Sablan, 2014; Strayhorn, 2011). Utilizing a…

This article reports on an alumni study of middle school participants in a university-based science camp; at the time of the study the youth were completing their junior or senior year of high school. The science- and technology-intensive program was set in an intentionally designed positive youth development context. The camp was free to youth…

The FIPSE-funded Science and Self-Determination Project at the University of Colorado at Boulder (established through the American Indian Educational Opportunity Program) was threefold. The project was: (1) to provide a month-long summer science/math institute on the university campus for 35 Native American Secondary students from a 10-state…

This program brings selected minority high school students to engineering schools all over the United States during the summer between their junior and senior year in high school. The students experience activities which familiarize them with engineering and with college. The evaluation of the program was based on pre- and post-data obtained from…

The FIPSE-funded Science and Self-Determination Project was conceptualized as a response to help alleviate the critical need for Native American scientists who would be able to deal with issues and concerns both within and outside of the Native American community. Objectives of the Science and Self-Determination Project were to prepare…

Presents a description of a five-week summer course in marine biology and oceanography offered to college-bound, secondary students with varied physical handicaps. Summarizes insights gained after four summer sessions related to communication problems, physical arrangements for the wheelchair-bound, and handicap-proof maps; evaluates the course's…

University of Colorado and AISES sponsor an Upward Bound program for Native American students that combines Western and Native-based approaches to math and science education during a summer residential program. Native American teachers expose students to modern laboratory equipment, computer technology, outdoor field experiments, outdoor…

The transition between high school and college is a crucial point where many young women engaged in the applied sciences and engineering cease their participation. To help retain young women's interest and help bridge the gap between secondary school and higher education, The University of Maryland, College Park, held a six-week live-in academic…