Middle Schoolers give engineering an opportunity at Del Mar College

You wouldn't often assume that sixth and seventh graders would spend time studying symbolic logic, problem solving, physics, and linear coding during the first part of their summer vacation. Those courses sound more like summer semester courses for upper-level high school or college students.

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But for the past six weeks, 55 middle school students in the area have been enrolled in Del Mar College's Texas Prefreshman Engineering Program, or Tex PREP. The yearly summer program is free and available to young students who show great academic abilities, particularly in mathematics, through an application process.

The middle schoolers showcased their skills today at Del Mar College. The competitions demonstrated engineering and other STEM skills and knowledge learned during DMC’s six-week rigorous summer program including robot racing, bridge-breaking battles, and handmade car racing.

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One of the participants, Beryl Twumsai, remarked, “It was really fun to work in a group and collaborate to build a robot. I'm happy that it works.”

Tex PREP is a statewide initiative that began in 1979 at The University of Texas at San Antonio to encourage middle school- through early high school-age students to pursue studies and careers in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Del Mars Director of CCPREP James Shollenberger says the program is worth 1 unit of elective credit for their Career and Technical Education (CTE).

Del Mar College introduced Tex PREP to its summer youth programming in 2000. The program’s longevity has been made possible by the 12-year lead sponsorship from Flint Hills Resources with overall donations reaching approximately $225,000.

The winner of the contest will receive a medal and a certificate. If your students wants to apply, applications for next year's program opens in February 2024 and can be found at https://delmar.edu/offices/math/ccprep/index.html .

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