Pre-college STEM programs (PCSPs) serve an important role for students in their STEM journeys.
These programs connect students with the scientific community by engaging in high-quality STEM content such as cutting-edge research, or the latest engineering practices, experiences that students cannot get in their schools. Students learn important, transferable, skills like problem solving, experimental design, and critical thinking that will help them as they advance in STEM.
PCSPs reach students who have been traditionally excluded from STEM. PCSPs more accurately reflect the populations of students in urban areas than what we currently see in undergraduate STEM majors and the STEM workforce. Some PCSPs are situated within marginalized communities, bringing STEM experts and
experiences to the students, while PCSPs associated with universities serve as a conduit between the university and the families of underrepresented students, providing connections that otherwise would not occur.
