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Session 2793 SEE for Kids: K-6 Outreach Efforts at Mississippi State University

Teresa Sappington1, Rebecca K. Toghiani2

College of Engineering1/Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering2 Mississippi State University

Introduction

As the land-grant institution in the state of Mississippi, Mississippi State University has historically been identified with activities focused on improving the education of Mississippi’s citizens, both on the university campus and through a variety of outreach programs. Outreach activities in the College of Engineering have traditionally focused on students in grades 7-12. Summer camp offerings have been very successful in helping the College of Engineering to recruit bright high school students to campus to pursue degrees in engineering.

Since 1990, the College of Engineering and the student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers have partnered to offer the University Familiarization Program for Minorities in Engineering (UFPME) program. Approximately 30 high school sophomores and juniors are brought to campus for a three-week period each year to explore the various opportunities available in engineering. In 1995, the Society of Women Engineers student chapter began offering a three-day camp for young women completing the 7th or 8th grades. This camp also focuses on exposing these students to the different careers available through engineering. During the summer of 2000, three sessions of this camp, each accommodating approximately 30 campers, will be offered in an attempt to satisfy the high demand for the program.

Efforts directed at outreach to the K-6 community have been limited in the past. The College of Engineering coordinates the regional Science Fair and helps science teachers throughout the state by offering training seminars and support activities for the Science Fair. Identifying mechanisms through which the College of Engineering can interact more extensively with the K-6 community has been the focus of more recent development efforts. The Summer Engineering Experience (SEE) for Kids program was conducted for the first time during the summer of 1999. In partnership with the Starkville Public School District (Starkville, MS), the College of Engineering exposed some 120 youngsters at the K-6 level to basic engineering concepts through hands-on activities.

Background

The Starkville Public School District offers a summer day-camp, the ‘Extended Plus’ program, to meet the day-care needs of the Starkville community for school age children during the summer vacation months. This program has been in existence for approximately 10 years and combines academic endeavors during the morning sessions with more conventional camp activities such as swimming and skating during the afternoons. As the College of Engineering began formalizing plans for the K-6 program, familiarity of the authors with the ‘Extended Plus’

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Sappington, T., & Toghiani, R. K. (2000, June), See For Kids: K 6 Outreach Efforts At Mississippi State University Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8686