Pre-Engineering
is designed to encourage and stimulate the interests of targeted middle school and high school students who have expressed or demonstrated interest and skill in mathematics or science to pursue careers in engineering.

The program consists of both a summer component and an academic year component. 

 
Summer Component  |  Academic Year Component  |  Other Activities  |  Fact Sheet

Summer Component

• Monday through Thursday hands-on workshops for six-weeks.
    
• Workshops are one hour and thirty minuets in duration and include building
  projects, classroom demonstrations and lectures.
    
• Workshops are conducted by engineering professors and engineering graduate
  students.
   
• Examples of engineering building projects:
  • Designing bridges
  • Building engines
  • Launching rockets
  • Designing and building circuits.
     
• Emphasis on mechanical, electrical and civilengineering. 
    

Back to top of page.

Academic Year Component

During the academic year, the program also conducts weekly hands-on workshops and tutorial sessions.  Utilizing a collaborative learning model, students are encouraged and challenged to work together both on hands-on problem solving building projects and in organized study sessions designed specifically to meet the needs of participants.   The focus of the program is not only academic excellence but also to promote positive competition and peer pressure to succeed.

Students attend a series of on-site workshops designed to inform students about the engineering profession.  Typical workshops include:

• Luncheon.
• Tour of the facility.
• Panel presentation by professional engineers.
• One-on-one discussions between the engineers and the students.

Examples of companies and research facilities which Pre-Engineering students have visited include:

• Diebold Research in Canton
• Ohio Edison Company in Akron
• Timken Company in Canton
• LTV in Cleveland
• Telxon Corporation in Akron
• NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland
• Ohio Aerospace Institute in Book Park
• Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron
• Luk Manufacturing Company in Wooster

Back to top of page.

Other Activities and Program Features:

• Field trips to science museums

• On-site career workshops to manufacturing and research facilities

• Projects, competitions: robots, bridges, radios, rockets

• Paid work internship program

• "Engineer for a Day" shadowing

• Motivational speakers

• Tutoring by the University of Akron Minority Engineering Program students

• $1,000 - $2,000 renewable scholarships provided by the University of Akron College of Engineering

• 4-Day Academic Year Science Trip

Fact Sheet