Through participation in the CoE / K-12 partnerships with local school districts, both graduate and undergraduate students can get involved by working in the schools with teachers and administrators to help guide student development, promote inquiry based learning, and provide hands-on learning experiences.

For Graduate Students

Currently seven Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Mathematics (STEM) graduate students from CoE and LSA serve as teaching assistants (TAs) at Ypsilanti High School. Each graduate student works in a math or science classroom twice a week. TAs bring elements of their research to the classroom while gaining real world teaching experience and learning pedagogy from the host teachers. Each TA keeps an online blog that explains what they've been doing in the school. Evaluation instruments have been developed to evaluate the impact the program has on all participants (teachers, TAs and secondary school students). If you're interested in participating in the program, please contact Joy Oguntebi (ogunjoy@umich.edu) or Jill Andrews (jillha@umich.edu).

For Undergraduate Students

Undergraduates interested in participating may volunteer to work in an after-school tutoring program, which (OE)^2 helps coordinate in collaboration with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). NSBE has agreed to "pair" two to four tutors with each TA. The TAs communicate with the tutors to keep them aware of topics covered in class. This helps tutors prepare for the after-school sessions and develop enrichment activities for students. If you're interested in participating as a tutor, please contact Joy Oguntebi (ogunjoy@umich.edu) or NSBE Chapter President Stephen Hill (sbhill@umich.edu).

Beginning in the Winter Term (January 2008), we will expand the TA and Tutoring programs beyond Ypsilanti to other local schools. If you're interested in participating, please contact Joy Oguntebi (ogunjoy@umich.edu) or Jill Andrews (jillha@umich.edu).

SPS Partnership Description

The Southfield Public School district has a long-standing history of sending students to the University of Michigan College of Engineering. SPS has an engineering academy established in Southfield High School and related engineering programs and activities.

UPA Partnership Description

The University Preparatory Academy is a charter school in Detroit. UPA will be developing a Math and Science middle school district and is working with CoE students and administrators to design the curriculum as well as the way the classrooms are designed.

Detroit Public Schools

The Detroit Public Schools have indicated a strong interest in starting up a partnership this year to replicate some of the programs (OE)^2 has begun with the other school districts. They are particularly interested in starting a TA program similar to the one we have launched at YPSD.