Pre-College Initiative (PCI) Program

The Pre-College Initiative (PCI) Program is designed to stimulate the interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, or STEM. The goal is to encourage students in grades K–12 to attend college and pursue technical degrees. Our PCI program provides activities to help students discover firsthand how engineering and technology relate to the world around them and discover the excitement of academic excellence, leadership, technical development and teamwork.

Objectives of the PCI Program:

• To help students have a positive attitude toward academic excellence
• To stimulate enthusiasm about science, technology, engineering and mathematics
• To encourage K–12th graders to pursue degrees in engineering and other technical fields
• To increase the number of African Americans attending and graduating from college
• To encourage and support parental commitment to children’s education
• To raise cultural awareness among students

Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK)

SEEK's mission is to increase elementary school students’ aptitude in math and science and their interest in pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) career fields, by having them engage in interactive, team-based engineering projects.

Private donations account for most of the programs' funding. SEEK is a free, three-week day camp for students in grades 3-8. Our most supportive partners include the following organizations and companies: Battelle Foundation, GE, Motorola, Pitney Bowes, Google, Cisco, Caterpillar, S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Clorox, INTEL, US Coast Guard, MeadWestvaco, Office of Naval Research, Cummins, M&T Bank, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas and Electric, San Diego State, NRG Energy, and CalPine.

The SEEK program will be led by NSBE members — black engineering students and technical professionals dedicated to pursuing and fulfilling the NSBE mission.

SEEK mentors are trained by Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) representatives and Dr. Grace Carroll of Carroll Consulting, Grades + Game.

The NSBE Pre-College Initiative (PCI) team developed the SEEK camp experience using a framework based on SAE International’s “A World in Motion,” an interactive, standards-based curriculum emphasizing student motivation, mentoring, cultural connection and parental involvement.

SEEK participants will:

• Learn how to learn (identify different ways to study and capture notes)
• Have a NSBE member as a mentor for the duration of the camp
• Gain greater knowledge of past and present engineering giants
• Develop better written and oral communication skills, as well as better presentation skills
• Develop a more positive self-image
• Be exposed to positive images of engineers

Find out more about SEEK on the NSBE National website, including a video featuring former United States President William J. Clinton!!

T.O.R.C.H.

Technical OutReach Community Help (T.O.R.C.H.) is NSBE’s community service initiative. We aim to use out technical backgrounds to positively impact the community and achieve the following objectives.

Objectives:

• To provide science, engineering, technology and mathematics exposure opportunities within Black communities
• To stimulate enthusiasm about science, engineering, technology and mathematics within Black communities
• To provide introductory training to members of the community in modern technology, software and technical knowledge
• Promote the value of science, engineering, technology and mathematics education at all levels
• Encourage greater Black participation in science, engineering, technology and mathematics at all levels

Program Components:

T.O.R.C.H. is an umbrella program of NSBE which encompasses outreach activities that impact non-NSBE members and NSBE members alike, especially pre-college youth in Black community. Although increasing membership may be a result of these activities, T.O.R.C.H. programs seek to provide services ahead of promoting membership. T.O.R.C.H. programs are divided into the following branches:

• STEM Community Training – Formal classroom style education in STEM fields aimed at both youth and adults.
• Informal Engineering and Science Education - casual outreach activities, targeted at youth, which aim to show how science & engineering can be fun.
• A Walk for Education – A single day outreach activity aimed at encouraging youth to be better prepared for higher educational opportunities in STEM fields, and in general.
• Technical Expertise Services - Using our technical skills to provide a direct service to the community.
• Traditional Community Service Activities - Any other type of community service: food & clothing drives, volunteering at a shelter, etc.

NSBE Jr

NSBE Jr. is the formal membership category for NSBE’s Pre-college students which exsits to fullfill NSBE's Pre-College Initiative (PCI). The PCI Program is designed to stimulate the interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields, or STEM. The goal is to encourage students in grades K–12 to attend college and pursue technical degrees. Our PCI program provides activities to help students discover firsthand how engineering and technology relate to the world around them and discover the excitement of academic excellence, leadership, technical development and teamwork.

Participate in NSBE’s PCI programs by becoming a NSBE Jr member. NSBE Jr membership is available to all students in grades 6-12. Membership is only $5, but the level of exposure to engineering is priceless.

We encourage you to participate with a chapter. These chapters may be affiliated with schools, churches, or other community organizations.

For more information on these and other NSBE Programs, please go to the NSBE National Website at www.nsbe.org or contact Kamili Jackson at pcichair@nsbe-gsc.org.