High school courses form the foundation of an engineering education. Students need to take challenging math and science classes to prepare for college engineering programs. NACME provides information and resources to high school students and educators through the following programs:
STEM Innovation Grants
- NACME STEM Innovation Grants provide teachers in inner-city communities with funding for projects that make students aware of opportunities to be found in engineering. The projects are aimed at turning classroom lessons into real-world applications that bring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts to life.
Pre-Engineering Scholarships
- The NACME Pre-Engineering Scholarship recognizes outstanding students for academic achievement and participation in educational, community-based pre-college engineering programs. The scholarship is offered to students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and commitment to engineering as a career field, and are planning to major in an engineering field of study. The application deadline is March 30, 2013. The deserving student will be selected by a committee, and will each receive:
• A certificate of recognition; and
• A one-time award of $2,500 to be used toward the cost of attending one of NACME’s Partner Universities. See the list of 50 Partner Universities here.
Engineering Awareness Publications
- A compilation of publications aimed to promote engineering awaress to students, parents and educators.
Academies of Engineering
- In response to a growing national need to educate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and to meet the increasing demand for qualified employees in the field of engineering, The National Academy Foundation, Project Lead The Way, and NACME have partnered to create small learning communities at the high school level. These schools are called Academies of Engineering (AOE).
NACME STEM Urban Initiative
The NACME STEM Urban Initiative combines PLTW’s curriculum with engineering resources provided by NACME to provide the ultimate support system for students. The Initiative was launched in September of 2009 in the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) system and will expand to the Bay Area, California in Fall 2011. Its goal is to provide support to students, parents and teachers in schools in selected urban areas in a national effort to increase the representation of successful African American, Latino and American Indian women and men in engineering technology, math and science-based careers.