Pre-Collegiate Initiative Program
“To increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers…” begins with the youth and the quality of their STEM programming. The pre-collegiate initiative (PCI) is a NSBE program aimed at increasing the number of students into the NSBE pipeline through hands-on outreach STEM activities. Some specific examples of NSBE PCI programs include Celebrations of African Americans in STEM, a Black History Month event that educated local minority youth about the contributions made by African Americans in the scientific community.
Academic resources include tutoring and mentoring at local high schools from collegiate engineers, and the development of a NSBE Jr. chapter that allows pre-collegiate students to become recognized NSBE members and to reap member benefits. The impact made by the PCI program is prevalent in the increase of attendance at events (from PCI students and collegiate volunteers) and the joyful faces left on the students faces at the conclusion of each event.