GREENSBORO, N.C.—Students interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math will have a new opportunity next year to prepare for the two million new jobs that are expected in those fields.

The Guilford County Schools Board of Education has approved a proposal to create an early college on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University that would focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

The STEM Early College at N.C. A&T will open in fall 2012 with a class of 50 freshmen, bringing the district’s total number of schools to 123. It will be Guilford County Schools’ (GCS) second early college, joining The Early College at Guilford, which is consistently listed among the top 20 high schools in the nation.

“The STEM Early College will provide a rigorous education and prepare students to enter college and the workforce by creating learning environments where they act like scientists, mathematicians and engineers,” said Dr. Terry Worrell, superintendent of the GCS Central Region. “With this program, GCS is adding a new level of opportunity for those who will be the high-tech leaders of tomorrow.”

"North Carolina A&T State University welcomes another opportunity to partner with Guilford County Schools to launch this major new initiative,” said Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. “The STEM Early College at N.C. A&T represents an extraordinary commitment to the students of Guilford County by providing a rigorous academic and research oriented curriculum in an innovative environment, as well as a format for engaged learning through business internship experiences. In addition, it will have a significant impact locally by graduating students who are qualified to attend college and further prepared to meet the growing needs of the STEM oriented workforce."

As an early college, the new school will offer students the opportunity to graduate high school with 60 hours of college credit, transferable to most public and private colleges and universities. Students will take advanced high school classes in grades 9 and 10, followed by two years of college classes in grades 11 and 12.

The STEM Early College will prepare its graduates for one of three career pathways: renewable energy, engineering and biomedical sciences. College graduates with STEM-related degrees may earn up to $1.2 million more during their lifetime than those without a college degree.

Generous financial support has been pledged from many organizations, including the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, Cemala Foundation, RF Micro Devices, VF Corporation, Solstas Lab Partners, Blue Bell Foundation, HondaJet, Tyco Electronics Foundation, Unifi, Toleo Foundation, Samet Corporation, Randall Kaplan, Gilbarco and Smith Richardson Foundation. Current pledges total nearly $700,000.

N.C. A&T, which offers more than 50 STEM-related majors, has been a strong supporter of a second GCS program on its campus. The university already houses The Middle College at N.C. A&T, one of the district’s two single-gender programs, which serves about 120 young men.

Middle colleges differ from early colleges at GCS in that, while both programs offer the opportunity to earn college credit, middle colleges are designed to reach students who may not thrive at a traditional high school. Early colleges are an intensive college-prep option for students who are highly successful.

For more information, contact Guilford County Schools at 336-370-8100.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will no longer process summer admission applications for visiting students. Effective immediately, the Office of University Outreach-Summer Sessions and Certificate Programs will process all undergraduate summer applications for visiting students.

A visiting student is any person currently not officially enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University who elects to enroll in a course during one of the five sessions offered during the summer.

The summer registration process for continuing A&T students will remain the same: register for summer courses through Web for Students.

Registration is now open for all summer sessions.

Summer admission applications are available at www.ncat.edu/~summer. The admission application for summer sessions, all required forms, and the $45 application fee should be mailed to the following address:

North Carolina A&T State University
Office of University Outreach-Summer Sessions and Certificate Programs
1020 East Wendover Avenue, Suite 109
Greensboro, NC 27405

For more information, contact the Office of University Outreach-Summer Sessions and Certificate Programs at 336-334-7607 or osso@ncat.edu.

The fourth annual Urban Education Institute, sponsored by the School of Education and College of Engineering at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, will be held March 23–24, in the Alumni-Foundation Event Center.

Several nationally celebrated African American male exemplars in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professions will be featured. Dr. John Slaughter, the first African American director of the National Science Foundation, former chancellor of the University of Maryland, and former president of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, will be honored.

The Urban Education Institute is committed to examining issues that affect the personal, academic, and social growth and development of marginalized and disfranchised groups in urban educational contexts. The institute emphasizes five strands: promising practices, engagement, leadership, scholarship/research and policy. This year it will examine specific strategies and practices that produce positive outcomes for African American males in the STEM disciplines while simultaneously highlighting African American male exemplars in STEM professions.

Planners for the Urban Education Institute are accepting presentation proposals from higher education and K-12 faculty and students as well as community members (e.g., parents, nonprofits, civic organizations, faith-based organizations) that illustrate how specific frameworks, philosophies, strategies, or programmatic approaches have reversed the underperformance and underachievement of African American males in STEM disciplines. Proposals that highlight evidence-based results within the classroom, school or community are preferred. The proposal must explicitly address the institute’s theme and clearly articulate the strand(s) to which it aligns.

The registration fee is $150 per person. Visit www.urbanedinstitute.com to learn more about the institute, proposal submission requirements and registration procedures. Contact Dr. Anthony Graham at agraham@ncat.edu or 336-334-7848 for information.