The goal of this project is to increase the number of female and minority inner-city high school students entering higher educational engineering programs. This undertaking is the result of concern about the low entry rate of women and minority members into the study of college science and engineering. Through previous outreach work 223 high school freshman and sophomores have gained awareness of engineering career options and strengthened their science and mathematics skills. This experience has indicated that while participants are more knowledgeable and enthusiastic about entering engineering, their academic achievement in the prerequisite science and mathematics falls short in most cases. This project seeks to improve upon this past experience by matching the teaching methodology more closely to the program population. Its solution appears to be in providing the inner city teenagers with an instructional approach that is interactive, visually oriented and individualized. Having succeeded in capturing the interest of these students and in making them aware of their personal potential, this engineering exploratory computer laboratory enables them to attain the academic levels in science and mathematics necessary to realize their ambitions. The award is being matched by an equal amount from the principal investigator's institution.
