Purpose
The purpose of the Texas Prefreshman Engineering Program El Paso chapter (TexPREP) is to identify achieving middle and high school students with an interest in engineering, science, technology, and other mathematical fields of study and to increase their knowledge of job opportunities in these fields in the El Paso area and beyond. TexPREP is an academically intense, eight-week mathematics based summer program, which stresses the development of abstract reasoning, problem solving skills, and their applications. TexPREP encourages the participation of members of minority groups and female students who traditionally have been under-represented in these areas.

Program Goals

• The goals of the 2002 program have been the following:
• To acquaint these students with professional opportunities in engineering;
• To reinforce the mathematics preparation of these students at high school and college levels;
• To increase the number of competently prepared students from the El Paso area who will ultimately pursue engineering studies in college;
• To increase the retention rate of these students as they progress through college.

TexPREP Academic Components
First Year

Logic and Its Application to Mathematics- 50%
Problem Solving- 20%
Introduction to Computer Science- 10%
Introduction to Engineering- 10%
Speaker/Writing/Learning Log- 10%

Second Year
Algebraic Structures- 40%
Problem Solving- 25%
Introduction to Physics-25%
Speaker/Writing/Learning Log- 10%

Third Year
Introduction to Probability and Statistics- 30%
Introduction to Technical Writing- 30%
Problem Solving- 30%
Speaker/Writing/Learning Log-10%

Program Components
The program offered the following subjects and activities:

Logic and It’s Applications to Mathematics (required of first year participants)
Visual Calculus (experimental groups in first year)
Algebraic Structures (required of second year students)
Introduction to Engineering (required of first year participants)
Computer Science (required for all three years)
Topics in Problem Solving (required for all three years and focused on engineering problems associated with a Mission to Mars theme)
Research and Study (required of all three years and focused on the Mission to Mars theme.
Introduction to Physics (required for second year students)
Technical Writing (required for third year students.)
Guest Speakers
Field Trips