Summer introduction to engineering for high school students

Abstract

The Introduction to Engineering (ITE) program is a one-week, summer residential outreach program for academically motivated high school students offered by the University of Virginia (UVa). The main objective of this program is to offer students with academic potential a broad overview of the engineering profession and a taste of college life. This paper examines UVa's ITE program, beginning with a review of its origins, goals and objectives. The participant selection process, the program's structure, and the efforts made to make the experience both unique and comprehensive, are all also discussed. The paper then examines the program's efficacy by analyzing surveys and comments received from program participants. In addition, the paper shows how the ITE program has served as an effective recruiting tool for UVa's School of Engineering and Applied Science, that could be emulated by other engineering programs. Finally, the paper presents a critique of the ITE program that includes its demonstrated benefits as well as recommendations on how to make it even more effective in the future. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2006.