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This paper presents the outcome of a summer precollege engineering enrichment program. The purpose of the summer outreach program is to promote and expose pre-college students to electrical engineering concepts and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) topics as well as hands on research projects. The summer program is typically a six-week summer outreach program that attracts U.S. high school students and international students from abroad. Sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Science Foundation (NSF), the summer program is generally offered to underrepresented high school students who have completed their junior year of high school and for seniors who plan to attend universities in the fall semester in the area of engineering. The program has demonstrated the potential to attract and graduate talented youth, including college students as mentors, who later enrolled in advanced degree programs at college and university levels. This Pre-College for Engineering Systems is a residential program coordinated by the Center for Energy Systems and Control (CESaC), within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Howard University. CESaC hopes that this summer program can serve as a national model for increasing the number of underrepresented groups in electrical engineering and system. Based on the objectives and subsequent outcomes, the program can serve as a national model for increasing the number of underrepresented groups in electrical computer engineering with an emphasis in power and energy specialization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A shortage of U.S. trained power and energy engineers has been predicted in the near future. One approach to solve this problem involves increasing the number of students choosing to study engineering, especially by exposing more students to engineering at an early age, even before high school. This paper presents the curricula and assessment of two summer programs for middle and high school students. We introduced electric and renewable energy concepts, engineering design, and MicroGrid related projects to the students. The survey results indicate that both programs improved students' levels of engineering knowledge, interest in learning and participating in engineering projects, and their intention to choose an engineering career; however, students' confidence in succeeding in engineering or science did not show improvement, which may impact students' willingness to choose engineering as a major. A positive attitude towards engineering among high school students had improved after the program but not among the middle school group. Improving the image of electrical engineering in general, and power systems engineering in particular, remains a challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An aging workforce and rapid growth in STEM-related occupations provide critical reasons to involve precollege students and teachers in science and engineering activities. Additionally, concerns about climate change and green energy sources provide motivation for students to pursue careers in the electric power industry. NSF-supported FREEDM ERC precollege programs address these issues through three components, which are described in this paper: 1) a Research Experience for Teachers; 2) a Young Scholars commuter program for high school students; and 3) weeklong renewable energy camps for middle school students. Assessment results for the first four years of the effort at four university campuses are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]