Work in Progress - A New Program to Increase High School Students ’ Interest in Engineering

The United States Coast Guard Academy provides more than 80% of the Coast Guard´s engineers. In order to meet Coast Guard needs, the Academy must attract increased numbers of cadet candidates who are interested in and capable of pursuing engineering as a course of study. In July 2004 the Academy conducted a new engineering-focused recruiting program for five hundred high school juniors. Called the Academy Introduction Mission, this summer program brought a diverse group of students from all over the country to New London, Connecticut, for a six-day campus experience. The primary focus of the summer program is an engineering project in which the high school students work in teams throughout the week to build a radio-controlled floating robotic craft. This paper describes this new summer program and its engineering component. The Academy Introduction Mission has increased the engineering and technological literacy of the participating high school students and is expected to improve engineering recruitment and retention