Teaming for the future with Purdue´s science bound initiative: a cooperative program involving university, secondary schools, and local industries to increase diversity in engineering and technology programs

The need to attract more minority students to science, engineering and technology programs is well documented. Purdue University is three years into a program aimed at finding such students while they are still in middle school and keeping them involved through high school and into college. The Purdue science bound program is conducted in cooperation with the Indianapolis Public Schools system and a wide spectrum of industry partners. This partnership is showing evidence of making a significant difference in the way students from an urban environment look at their futures. This paper discusses the partnership among Purdue, the Indianapolis school system, and the Indianapolis business community that makes science bound possible. It also looks at some of the approaches that have proven successful in helping students improve their understanding of concepts that will help them graduate and transition into their chosen careers