Introducing 6th to 12th grade students in K to 12 programs to science and engineering through experimental measurements

The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has a long history of initiating outreach efforts to K to 12 Programs which have the goal of increasing the pool of minorities entering science and engineering programs in Institutions of Higher Education. Financial support for these efforts is provided by private, industrial, state, and federal sources and are under the auspices of the Office of Pre-College programs at NJIT. This office had its initial beginnings in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and close ties continue between the two groups. Therefore it is not a surprise that the current programs which encompass students from the sixth to twelfth grades have a strong basis in chemical engineering laboratory measurements, related data analysis, and a strong emphasis on communication skills. Depending on the educational level of the student the experiential laboratory/lecture exposure is to either bench scale or pilot plant scale laboratory equipment. Based on student reviews of their experience, the individual programs have been favorably received. The students especially like the "hands on" aspects of the course.