Young students participate in UTSA science, math PREP program
(June 20, 2003)--More than 1,250 students are participating in the San Antonio Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP) activities through July 31 at nine college and university sites in San Antonio including the UTSA 1604 and Downtown campuses. Twenty-one colleges and universities across Texas are part of TexPREP.
PREP identifies achieving middle and high school students with an interest in and the potential for success in the fields of science, engineering and technology, and other mathematics-related areas and reinforces them in the pursuit of these careers.
Pictured are PREP students testing the flying abilities of airplanes they constructed.
The eight-week, mathematics-based academic program for students in grades six through 11 provides up to one elective credit toward high school graduation for each completed summer of PREP.
The program was founded in 1979 by UTSA professor Manuel Berriozabal, and since its inception 10,127 students have completed at least one summer component.
Since 1986, PREP has been replicated throughout the state and is conducted in 13 other Texas communities. In 1996, a grant was awarded by NASA to replicate PREP across the nation. The nationwide program, Proyecto Access, is operational at 10 campuses across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
The academic program is staffed by more than 60 professionals from various disciplines and industries including college faculty, high school teachers, industrial engineers, scientists and mathematicians. The program also enlists the help of 75 program assistant mentors, typically undergraduate engineering, mathematics and science majors.
Last year PREP enrolled 1,392 students with 1,220 completing the program. Of those who begin PREP, 78 percent are members of minority groups traditionally under-represented in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering. Fifty-seven percent are female and 44 percent are from low-income families.
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2003