NC-MSEN Pre-College Program is located at nine universities throughout the state. Though new to western North Carolina, the Pre-College program has proven to be very successful in other regions within the state in encouraging students to complete post-secondary education in the STEM fields. To date, ninety-seven percent of Pre-College graduates have enrolled in a four-year college or university. Approximately eighty-two percent of those graduates have pursued STEM careers.
The NC MSEN Pre-College program at WCU is an active member of the Center for Math and Science Education in the College of Education. The program operates under the direction of Dr. Elaine Franklin, Director of the Center for Math and Science Education and Erin McManus, Pre-College Program Coordinator.
Pre-College programs offered at Western Carolina University
Saturday Academy
The Saturday Academy is a program designed to further develop skills in the fields of math, science, English and computer science. The purpose of the academy is to enrich and support lessons that the children learn in school. Classes also expose students to ideas and concepts that may be missing from their regular curriculum or may increase interest in a new area of study. Saturday Academy runs from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the campus of Western Carolina University and are instructed by NC certified teachers and/or WCU professors and graduate students specifically chosen to meet our students needs. On some occasions Saturday academy will include local educational field trips that align with the program’s curriculum.
Summer Programs
The WCU NC MSEN program is designed for both middle and high school students. Middle school curriculum involves interactive explorations into science and math classes and special events. High school classes are geared towards strengthening students math and science skills in preparation for the SAT’s and well as introducing them to more advanced science research techniques.
Parents Involved for Excellence (PIE) program
Parent involvement is a primary component of the Pre-College curriculum. Parents are expected to participate in our Parents Involved in Excellence (P.I.E) club. As members of the PIE club, parents attend workshops and meetings on topics such as school academic requirements and standardized testing. P.I.E clubs also support student activities by providing volunteers for events, coordinating fundraising projects and by assisting program staff with planning.
MSEN Day
Each year students from each of North Carolina’s Pre-College programs come together for a day of activities and competition. Math and science competitions are designed to strengthen test taking abilities and problem solving skills. The students also take place in written and oral competitions to test their ability to convey what they have learned about math and science throughout the year. Finally some of the most popular parts of each MSEN day are the design and engineering competitions where students test the stability of various structures they build themselves. These competitions involve planning, building and testing bridges, towers, bottle rockets, and egg drop devices.
Future Programs At Western Carolina University’s Pre-College Program
Summer College in Biotechnology and Life Sciences Program (S.C.I.B.L.S)
Summer College in Biotechnology and Life Sciences (SCIBLS) is an opportunity for outstanding high school students interested in a career in science to participate in a college level program. Western Carolina University’s Pre-College Program will nominate students to attend the residential component of this program. SCIBLS participants will take coursework for college credit, challenging you beyond the level of typical high school academics. Participants will work in state of the art laboratories on the campus of NC State University and practice cutting edge research techniques and skills. The selective four-week program is recruiting high school students who are eager to experience a true university environment and explore biotechnology laboratory techniques and careers.
NC Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
Each spring Pre-College Program student’s grades 6-8 will compete in the NC Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Development of student projects will be guided by PCP staff and these staff members will accompany students to this annual event hosted in Raleigh, NC.
Pre-College Experiences for Reaching Students Interested in Science Teaching (P.E.R.S.I.S.T)
The three year Pre-College Experiences for Reaching Students Interested in Science Teaching (P.E.R.S.I.S.T) program seeks to enable underserved 9-12th grade students to develop a greater understanding of the teaching process and acquire the fundamental skills needed for a science or mathematics teaching career. During an intensive two-week summer program and subsequent follow-up Saturday activities, students, university faculty, National Board Certified Teachers, and pre-service teachers will collaborate in a science and mathematics teacher recruitment project.
Leadership Retreat
Pre-College Program hosts an annual leadership retreat for a select group of high school students involved in the program. This overnight retreat focuses on personal development and leadership building activities.
NC Partnership for Improving Mathematics and Science (PIMS)
NC-PIMS is a partnership-driven initiative with a commitment to the quality, quantity and diversity of teachers, to challenging mathematics courses and curricula for students and teachers, and to supporting institutional sustainability within a framework of evidence-based outcomes.