The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) will address the need to increase both the awareness of and interest in career opportunities in engineering by developing algebra curricula that use engineering applications to build students mathematical skills and understanding.
UMBC, in collaboration with Baltimore County Public Schools, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, the Maryland State Department of Education, Northrop Grumman, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Meade Middle and High Schools, Sollers Point/Southeastern High School, the Baltimore Museum of Industry, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and UMBC's Center for Women and Information Technology, will work to achieve the following objectives:
1. Develop curriculum kits, each one targeting a different aspect of engineering (chemical, electrical, civil, and mechanical) that can be used in both middle and high school algebra classes. 2. Provide a five-day summer workshop annually for 30 in-service mathematics teachers and 10 undergraduate engineering Teaching Fellows. This workshop will give an introduction to engineering career opportunities, and an overview of the curricula on the kits prior to classroom use. 3. Develop an undergraduate engineering Teaching Fellows program targeting women and other underrepresented minorities to provide hands-on instructional classroom support for middle and high school algebra teachers to help them integrate the curricula into their courses. The Fellows program will also support the long-term retention of current engineering students, particularly underrepresented groups. 4. Maintain student interest in engineering at eight schools through the development and institutionalization of an after-school engineering program that culminates in a series of collaborative and competitive activities. 5. Increase the involvement of females and other underrepresented groups in engineering by providing female and minority engineering role models in the classroom and developing curricula that encourage interest and participation by all groups.
The "Introducing Engineering Through Mathematics" project will benefit UMBC, the State of Maryland, and a nation in great need of a larger and more diverse technology workforce. The engineering program at UMBC will improve its retention rate through the project's Fellows program. Also, students and teachers throughout Maryland will become familiar with engineering through the standard algebra curriculum. Further, increased numbers of diverse students will understand and be able to apply higher mathematics concepts and be more likely to pursue further training in science and mathematics. Finally, greater numbers of diverse students will develop an interest in and select engineering as a career.
