Houston PREP 2002

University of Houston-Downtown

Abstract

Richard A. Aló

 The fourteenth year of the Houston Pre-Freshmen Enrichment Program (PREP) was conducted during Summer 2002.  PREP was hosted by CCSDS at the campus of the University of Houston-Downtown from June 10 to July 26, 2002.  The goal of the program was to better prepare our pre-college youth prior to entering college as mathematics, science and engineering majors.  PREP accomplishes this by offering students the opportunity to attend PREP for four consecutive years during the summertime.

Investigative and discovery learning were key elements of Houston PREP.  The academic components of the program included:  Biology; Calculus; Computational Science; Computer Science; Earth and Space Science; Engineering; Linear Algebra; Logic; Physics; Problem Solving; Public Speaking; SAT Preparatory Seminars; Statistics and Technical Writing.

With financial support from CCSDS and sponsors, the Fourth Year Program has been added to PREP since 1997.  Coursework this year involved Biology, Calculus, Computational Science, Computer Science, and Public Speaking.  Thirty-six students completed this year’s Fourth Year Program.

Houston PREP held its 2^nd Annual NASA Day at the University of Houston-Downtown on July 11, 2002. Three guest speakers from NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) discussed their research and experience at NASA.  This day was filled with students’ research presentations based on the solar system; plus there was an exhibit with PREP students’ poster presentations.

Engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and other professionals from private industry, government agencies and various universities discussed research, career opportunities and social problems with program participants at the 5^th Annual Engineering Fair held on July 17, 2002.  Thirteen Houston engineering and technical companies/agencies were represented at this special event.  

Initially 272 students started this summer's PREP program.  Of these students, 90% were from economically and socially disadvantaged groups under-represented in the engineering and science professions.

89% of the 207 students, who successfully completed the program, were from economically and socially disadvantaged groups underrepresented in the engineering and science professions.

Program participants were recruited from the Greater Houston Area.  The program participants were middle school and high school students from the Aldine, Alief, Clear Creek, Cypress-Fairbanks, Fort Bend, Galena Park, Houston, Katy, Klein, North Forest, Out of Town, Pasadena, Private, Spring, and Spring Branch Independent School Districts.  All participants were identified as high-achieving students with an interest in learning about the engineering and science professions. 

The program staff composed of college faculty members and high school teachers (fifteen of the 21 teachers were minority or women).  In addition to providing bus transportation, the Aldine, Galena Park, and Houston Independent School Districts provided seven teachers to instruct PREP classes; this provided the teachers an excellent training opportunity.  Ten of the twelve undergraduate students, who served as Program Assistants, were minority or women.

Substantial in-kind manpower and financial operational support, that made Houston PREP successful, consisted of: Advanced Distributed Simulation Research Consortium; Aldine Independent School District; Center for Computational Sciences and Advanced Distributed Simulation; Galena Park Independent School District; Houston Dance Coalition/Dance Salad Program; Houston Preparatory Academy; Houston Independent School District; Houston Works; National Science Foundation, Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate; NASA Johnson Space Center – Houston; National Computational Science Alliance - Education, Outreach, & Training; Sandra Organ Dance Company (SODC); State of Texas Legislature; Texas Department of Human Services Summer Food Service Program; Texas Department of Transportation; United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast/Enron Corporation; U.S. Army Research Office, Department of Defense; and University of Houston – Downtown.