MITES: Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science

Through the MITES (Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science) program OEOP offers three rigorous residential and on-line, academic enrichment programs for promising high school juniors who are interested in studying and exploring careers in science and engineering. These national programs stress the value and reward of pursuing advanced technical degrees and careers while developing the skills necessary to achieve success in science and engineering. The programs are rooted in MIT's belief in the importance of students from diverse populations to pursue higher education and careers in these fields.

Selected students build self-confidence in their ability to achieve in a demanding academic atmosphere, and have a chance to work with and befriend individuals of different racial, ethnic and other backgrounds from their own, as are necessary for success in studying and pursuing careers in science and engineering in the 21st century. For its graduates, there is a strong record of successful admission to MIT and to other engineering and science universities.

The MIT program now known as MITES was established in 1974 as the MITE (Minority Introduction to Engineering) Program. The MITE program was created as part of a national effort sponsored by the then Engineers' Council for Professional Development. The objective of the program was to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in the engineering profession by exposing students to engineering during their high school years.

What started as a two-week residential summer program on the MIT campus with 37 students and a focus on career orientation has evolved into a six-week slice of academic life with 60-80 participants. Students now take courses in calculus, physics, biology/ biochemistry/ chemistry, humanities, genomics, programming, and engineering design. These high school juniors gain a better perspective about college and can take advantage of their senior year in high school to prepare for college and their professional careers.

MITES supports MIT's mission to provide all of our students with the intellectual stimulation of a diverse campus community and to serve the nation's need for a diverse pool of highly qualified scientists and engineers, including underrepresented minorities. The program has taken a strategic approach to fulfill that mission. Our objectives are to:

(1) Develop participants' problem-solving skills while providing them with a thorough understanding of the foundational academic principles required for success in their technical and scientific career pursuits.

(2) Provide students with an introduction to the scope of possibilities in engineering, entrepreneurship, and science careers, so that participants are informed, inspired, and deeply motivated by clearer visions of their personal career paths.

(3) Build students' confidence in their academic and leadership abilities so that they can manage and resolve ostensibly insurmountable challenges in high school, college and beyond.

(4) Foster skills to work productively and creatively in an increasingly racially diverse world.

On these objectives, the MITES Program constructs three pillars of learning:

(1) Learning Content: We expect each participant to become sufficiently proficient in the subject matter and requisite analytical problem-solving skills to comfortably and creatively apply the concepts to solve new and novel problems. Students select five courses out of 14 offerings to closely align their interests and academic levels within their "zone of development."

(2) Learning about Learning: Here, the emphasis is for students to develop their metacognition - an understanding of their most effective mental and learning processes. Midterm evaluations suggested specific learning strategies based on observed behaviors. Final descriptive course assessments appraise academic outcomes and evaluate how effectively the student deploys the recommended learning strategies. In the end, the students learn to regulate their own learning, and to recognize when to discard ineffective, or adopt new learning strategies and work habits to improve their academic outcomes.

(3) Learning about Self: Learning is socially mediated and is often influenced by one's racial and ethnic identity. Rather than suppress identity, we encourage students to share and celebrate their cultures. By doing so, we advance an affirming message that cultural diversity and academic achievement are not mutually exclusive.