June 24, 2005 Laurel, Maryland

Sixteen recent high school graduates are attending the annual Capitol College/NASA PREP pre-college engineering program this summer, making this year's group the largest to participate since the program's start.

The intense six-week program runs from June 26 to August 5. The challenging coursework and hands-on experiences are designed to prepare minority high school students for the rigors of a collegiate engineering degree program.

Along with basic courses in areas such as college study skills and group dynamics, the students get a head start on the advanced-level mathematics, science and engineering foundations that are required during the first year of college. Students also meet professional engineers and visit workplaces such as neighboring NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

“NASA is always interested in increasing its minority participation, and the program ensures that students have the skills to be successful,” said Charles Woods, a Capitol College professor of management serving as the NASA PREP academic coordinator. “It's a full load everyday – classes before lunch, after lunch, they spend time in the library studying and in the labs. A great deal is structured for them, but it keeps them busy.”

Like the program offered at Capitol College the preceding week for Hispanic high school students, the goal of NASA PREP is to get teens and young adults interested in engineering and into the industry. Government agencies such as NASA and private industry are trying to recruit young engineers as fewer students pursue the field and the current workforce nears retirement age.

Established in 1992, NASA PREP is free for its students and provides a weekly stipend. Students who enroll in Capitol College are eligible for a renewable scholarship if they major in computer science or astronautical, computer, electrical or software engineering.