Florida International University (FIU), in collaboration with Dade County Public Schools (DCPS) proposes a three year summer science camp for selected at risk, underrepresented middle schools from the Dade School District. Sixty-six students will participate during year 1, and 88 for years 2 and 3. The proposed project, Technology Enhanced Achievement in Mathematics and Science (TEAMS), is a major expansion of the Partnership of Academic Communities (PAC), bringing substantive enrichment to this partnership between DCPS and FIU. PAC provides underrepresented, at risk students their mathematics, science and technology instruction on the FIU campus, using university faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and resources. TEAMS is proposed as a combined commuter and resident program, with 7th and 8th graders commuting and 9th graders in residence, providing the more mature students a full-day scientific immersion, with afternoon and evening research and laboratory experiences. The five weeks, four days per week summer experience will be supplemented by 9 academic year Saturday sessions, featuring non- academic scientists, mathematicians, and engineers e.g., a Bell South mathematician, and IBM systems analysts, and a City of Miami Planning engineer . Dade County Public Schools' Urban Systemic Initiative leader teachers in mathematics, science and technology, FIU faculty in mathematics, the sciences, computer science, mathematics education, science education, statistics, and graduate students, will all directly provide workshops, field activities, and seminars. Likewise, professionals from business, industry, and particularly the technology industry will provide to the students of TEAMS enjoyable, meaningful experiences that are non-traditional, rich and demanding and enriching hands and minds-on, predominantly technology integrated. Drawing from an already proven successful for these students in the PAC project base, the curriculum and instruction w ill exemplify the reform of math and science (NCTM Standards and NSTA Standards). It will foster mathematical and scientific thought, build positive attitudes and solid knowledge bases in these fields. It will utilize NSF support funded and other rich new curricula Mathematics in Context . The goals of TEAMS are: 1) to enrich at-risk, underrepresented students' experiences in math, science and technology, designed to improve their attitude toward and valuing of the sciences; 2) to provide scientific ways of thinking and reasoning and systematic learning/study experiences sufficient to success-oriented education and self-concept enhancement; 3) to provide experiences paving the way for an economically successful occupation, with at least adequate mathematics, science and technology for this success; and 4) to build confidence sufficient that some participants may choose to major in scientific areas. ***
