NC-MSEN PCP Activities and Components

Students who attend selected high schools may enroll in the ACE club program, sponsored by teachers and/or guidance counselors. The club provides a student peer support group for students who want to pursue academic excellence. Activities include presentations from guest speakers, field trips, and activities that enhance student interest in STEM careers as well as provide college preparation information. In addition, students gain valuable leadership skills by directing club efforts. Students are required to complete a community service project.

Middle school students who attend selected schools and participate in the NC-MSEN Pre-College Program at NC State University must enroll in an elective course called the MSEN Pre-College Class, which provides assistance with study skills and enrichment in math and science. Academic Enrichment Class is for middle school students only.

In mid-May, students are recognized for their outstanding academic work and program participation at a formal awards ceremony. For each school, the students who earn a GPA of 3.0 or above are recognized. The top three academic students in each grade level will receive a first, second, or third place trophy. All other students who earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher will receive honorable mention awards.

This STEM competition event is held annually in late March or April. Eighty students from the NC State University NC-MSEN Pre-College Program compete against students from the other three NC-MSEN Pre-College Programs across the state. The event location rotates between participating UNC system universities, Elizabeth City State University, North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Winston-Salem State University.

Students compete against their peers in events ranging in various hands-on events such as water bottle rockets, parachute egg drop, an oratorical contest and a quiz bowl.

All parents of participating students belong to the Parents Involved in Excellence (PIE) Club. Parent workshops are provided on various Saturdays during Saturday Academy. Each MSEN school that hosts a MSEN club or elective class hosts a PIE club, which provides support for the students and their activities. The sky is the limit for this organization. Some PIE clubs at the high schools even provide scholarships for graduating seniors.

These exciting classes are held 10 times throughout the academic school year. During each of the sessions, students take classes in math, science, communications, engineering, coding, the Stock Market, robotics, and college planning.

All students take classes in math, science, and communications; the other classes vary for middle school students vs. high school students. Students are grouped according to their mathematics course that they are taking in school. The math, science, and communication courses are taught by certified teachers; the other classes such as coding and engineering are taught by experts in the appropriate field and undergraduate and graduate students from NC State University. The courses are held on the campus of North Carolina State University and are a part of the student’s participation in the NC-MSEN Pre-College Program.

The Summer Scholars program is a STEM theme-based camp for students who are rising 7th–12th graders. It is created to provide summer engagement for students who participated in the NC-MSEN PCP during the school year; students who did not participate in the school year program may also apply. The camp has two locations, Rocky Mount and Raleigh. Annually, the Rocky Mount camp is held for one week at the Gateway Technology located on the campus of NC Wesleyan College and sponsored by the ECU/NC State Collaborative Center. This location is intended for students who live in Northampton, Halifax, Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson Counties. The second camp is held for one week on the Main Campus of NC State University.

For both camps, each year, the program staff selects a STEM topic in which students will work in teams to develop a project. During camp, students will take courses in communications, engineering, mathematics, and science which will aid them in completing their project. Students also take tours of various STEM Departments at NC State and learn about college admissions information. In addition, students eat lunch daily in one of the university dining halls. At the camp’s conclusion, a symposium is held for the student teams to present their projects.