PREFRESHMAN ENGINEERING PROGRAM (PREP)
A transformational program designed to motivate and prepare middle and high school students—many of whom are from low-income households—for advanced studies and careers in STEM fields.
FUNDING REQUEST (Ongoing-No Increase)
$285,729 per year; $571,458 per biennium
Overview
The Dr. Manuel P. Berriozábal Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP) is a rigorous summer program for middle and high school students. It provides early engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as academic preparation for advanced studies careers . The program was started at UTSA and has spread throughout the State. PREP will hold its 45th summer program in 2025 and has served as many as 4,000 students per year from more than 125 school districts across Texas.
PREP provides students the opportunity to study STEM subjects in a college setting while introducing careers through field trips and a speaker series. PREP’s curriculum is delivered over four years, beginning with an introduction to engineering design, logic and algebraic reasoning in course I. Course II and III topics include physics, integrated algebra, probability, statistics and technical writing. Course IV focuses on exploring innovations and product design in engineering such as 3D printing, CAD, solid works, and MATlab, and also covers nanotechnology, data-science and cybersecurity. Courses II-IV are approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as Innovative courses under the name of the TexPREP IIIV curriculum. TEA has approved for students who complete each of the PREP courses to claim one career and technical education elective credit, at the discretion of the local school board.
The Challenge
As technology advances, the fundamental need for engineering skillsets continues to grow as does the demand to participate in the PREP program. To meet the marketplace demands for engineers and the objectives of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Talent Strong Texas goals, additional resources are needed to provide students with the skillset to successfully pursue engineering.
While PREP has received considerable private funding and in-kind support for the local programs, State funding remains the foundational support for the state-wide effort. An absence of state funding would compromise programming statewide, reducing the program’s impact and the potential for reaching thousands of Texas students.
For More Information
Jason Hassay
UTSA Government Relations
o: 210.458.5102
m: 512.413.9598
jason.hassay@utsa.edu
Albert Carrisalez
UTSA Government Relations
o: 210.458.5138
m: 210.452.7557
albert.carrisalez@utsa.edu
Updated November 6, 2024
