Impact of K-16 programs at New Jersey institute of technology on STEM

Over thirty (30) years ago, faculty at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) recognized a need to develop programs directed at minority and underrepresented students in the K-12 years in order to introduce them to the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, (STEM). From this humble beginning, numerous programs have been initiated that encompass the K-16 years in education. These programs all have the objective of increasing the minorities and underrepresented population to the STEM areas but each program is directed to different age groups and the approach to achieving these objectives varies. The student pipeline (K-16) begins with the Elementary Science Outreach Program offered at area schools for K-8 students. It continues with the FEMME programs, which direct their initial attention to females in the 4th grade and continue on with offerings to 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in STEM fields during a four-week summer course. These programs can be followed by the Upward Bound program for students in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades or the Pre-college Academy which offers college courses for college credit to ninth through twelfth graders. Both Upward Bound and the Academy are intensive summer and academic year programs. In the college years (13-16) programs such as Educational Opportunity, Undergraduate Research Experience and the.Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program continue the development of minority and underrepresented students in the STEM areas. To date, all of these programs, and many more of a specific nature, have been highly successful in achieving their goals of developing awareness and recruiting students into STEM fields. Details of the numerous programs at NJIT will be presented.