Houston PREP 2003
University of Houston-Downtown
Abstract
Richard A. Aló

The fifteenth year of the Houston Pre-Freshmen Enrichment Program (PREP) was conducted during Summer 2003. A Pre-College Award for Excellence in Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology was awarded to the Center for Computational Sciences and Advanced Distributed Simulation (CCSDS) in 1998 for its Pre-College Programs (Houston PREP and Saturday Academy Programs).

The $300,000 grant by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters in Washington, D.C. has been awarded over a three-year period. Its purpose is to enhance the program by:
PREP was hosted by CCSDS at the campus of the University of Houston-Downtown from June 9 to July 18, 2003. Program participants were recruited from the Greater Houston Area. All participants were identified as high-achieving students with an interest in learning about the engineering and science professions. The goal of the program was to better prepare our pre-college youth prior to entering college as mathematics, science and engineering majors.

The program staff composed of college faculty members and high school teachers (9 of the 13 teachers were minority or women). In addition to providing bus transportation, Aldine, Houston, and Galena Park Independent School Districts provided teachers to instruct PREP classes. Nine of eleven undergraduate students, who served as Program Assistants, were from minority groups or women.

Houston PREP had accepted 319 students for this summer's program. More than 90% were from economically and socially disadvantaged groups under-represented in the engineering and science professions.

The program participants were middle school and high school students from the Aldine, Alief, Channelview, Cypress-Fairbanks, Fort Bend, Galena Park, Houston, Humble, Katy, Klein, La Porte, Pasadena, Pearland, Private, Sheldon, Tomball, Spring, and Spring Branch Independent School Districts.

85% of the 200 students, who completed the program, were from economically and socially disadvantaged groups underrepresented in the engineering and science professions.

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

With financial support from CCSDS, the Fourth Year Program has been added to PREP since 1997. Coursework involved Biology, Calculus, Computer Science and Physics.

Engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and other professionals from private industry, government agencies and various universities discussed career opportunities and social problems with the program participants. This year’s program also included an Engineering Fair held on July 16, 2003. Various Engineering companies were represented at this special event.

Houston PREP held its 1st Annual NASA Day at the University of Houston-Downtown on July 15, 2003. This day was filled with students’ presentations based on research on the solar system. NASA day also included a hall with students’ poster presentations.

Substantial in-kind manpower and financial operational support for this year’s program consisted of: Advanced Distributed Simulation Research Consortium; Aldine Independent School District; Carecen, Inc.; Center for Computational Sciences and Advanced Distributed Simulation; Galena Park Independent School District; Houston Independent School District; Houston Works; National Science Foundation, Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate; NASA Headquarters - Washington, D.C.; NASA Johnson Space Center – Houston; National Computational Science Alliance - Education, Outreach, & Training; Northrop
Grumman; State of Texas Legislature; Texas Department of Human Services Summer Food Service Program; Texas Department of Transportation; and University of Houston – Downtown.