Recruitment of women and minorities into engineering technology programs

The paper describes an experimental summer program "Access To Careers In Engineering" (ACE). The program was a recruitment strategy which targeted under-represented groups and sought to motivate them toward careers in engineering and engineering related fields. The ACE program was offered August 7-11, 1995. This program provided exposure to careers in engineering, engineering technology, and mathematics to 10th and 11th grade female and minority students. The goal of the program was to create an interactive environment which allowed the high school students to participate in hands-on activities related to engineering, engineering technology and mathematics. The objective of these activities was to increase self-esteem of the participants through the completion of various projects and promote an awareness of career opportunities in these fields. The ACE Program was founded through a grant from The Pennsylvania State University-College of Engineering Enhancement Fund and Equal Opportunity Planning Committee. The paper also discusses the effectiveness of the program from the perspective of the high school students and the Penn State faculty who were involved in the program.