K-12 and beyond: the extended engineering pipeline

The Center for Pre-College Programs (CPCP) at New Jersey Institute of Technology (USA) offers initiatives and programs designed to increase educational opportunities for inner-city youngsters, and to improve the quality of education at the elementary and secondary schools in the region and the State. The Center and its programs provide the connection between the K-12 sector and the University that creates a K-16 continuum. Engineering is used as the vehicle to involve pre-college populations in technological education and to motivate the population to pursue technological careers. This paper describes the organization of the Center and its programs in order to meet the needs of the pre-college students, their teachers, and other stakeholders. The connection between, the K-12 programs and initiatives and university programs are discussed. The use of engineering as the interface between high school and college is described