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View this video in the Pratt Screening Room.
NSF Supports New Engineering After-School Program
August 23, 2007
A new program called TechXcite, led by Professor Gary Ybarra of the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, will create an engineering after-school curriculum for 4-H supported middle schools across the nation. Middle school participants in the program will also receive virtual mentoring from engineers in the electronics industry.
The new partnership between the Pratt School, National 4-H Afterschool, North Carolina 4-H and the National Science & Technology Education Partnership has been made possible with more than $2 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) over the next five years. Ybarra, a professor of the practice in Duke's electrical and computer engineering department and director of undergraduate studies, and program co-director Paul Klenk, who holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and materials science from Duke, will develop the new after school curriculum.
"Our goal is to develop an engaging, substantive, experiential and inquiry-based curriculum for 4-H supported middle school youth in after-school programs across the nation, to encourage kids in both rural and urban settings to pursue a career in engineering or technology," Ybarra said.
The curriculum, which will be called Discover Engineering!, will be made freely available via a TechXcite web site. The curriculum will be based around several themes, including digital imaging, wireless communication, alternative energy sources and transportation.
The program is expected to reach 300 middle school students and their 4-H leaders in its first year, Ybarra said. By the end of five years, Ybarra expects the number of participants will grow to thousands of kids. "After year five, the curriculum will be integrated into the National 4-H curriculum for use in all 50 states, potentially reaching millions of children," he said.