Thirty incoming Atlanta University Center freshman will receive a chance to begin engineering courses.
The Atlanta University Center Consortium is providing an outlet to prepare Atlanta University Center students for their freshman year. The AUCC-Microsoft DDEP Summer Bridge Program is a virtual seven-week intensive summer program designed to prepare pre-engineering students who have been accepted into the organization’s Dual-Degree Engineering Program. The program provides the rigor of the engineering curriculum at the AUC, introduces leadership opportunities, and careers in engineering, and familiarizes incoming students with Atlanta University Center institutions and the college experience.
For the second consecutive year Microsoft is providing $90,000 to fund the program free of cost to participants through Microsoft’s Technology & Corporate Responsibility program.
According to Kory Hawkins, University Relations Lead for Microsoft, the company views investing in HBCU students as an important step in their commitment to racial equity, given the pivotal role Historically Black Colleges and Universities play in the communities they reside, and the students they serve.
“Microsoft’s commitment to supporting, training, internships, and hiring African-American engineers from the AUC speaks to their commitment to being a responsible community partner,” says Dr. Said Sewell, Director of the Office of Academic Affairs, Research, and Students Success at the Atlanta University Center Consortium.
He continued, “When America is losing the STEM race to China and India, especially regarding students of color, we are thankful to Microsoft for their continued investment in the AUC Consortium’s Dual Degree Engineering Program. Based on tracking data of last year’s cohort, this program, designed to prepare incoming DDEP students for the rigors of a pre-engineering curriculum, is shorting students’ time to completion.”
Students will virtually attend classes in Pre-Calculus, Chemistry, and Introduction to Engineering. In addition to these classes, students will also virtually attend industry tours of the most prominent engineering companies in Atlanta networking with professionals and learning about career opportunities available after graduation. Students receive academic credit for each of the courses taken in the program potentially receiving ten (10) credit hours toward their degree at their respective institution.
Since 2020, Microsoft has partnered with Clark Atlanta, Morehouse College, and Spelman College,. providing funding, technical expertise for curriculum enhancement, recruitment focus, and technology.
Admission to this program is limited to 30 students (ten from each of the three undergraduate AUCC institutions of Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College) attending one of the institutions in the Fall. Full fellowships are available, allowing participants to attend at no cost, covering textbooks and other needed resources. The program is only available to first-time, full-time freshmen admitted to one of the AUCC institutions, immediately after high school.
A list of frequently asked questions about the program can be found here:
https://aucenter.edu/ddep-summer-bridge-faqs/
The 2022 program will be held from Monday, June 13 – Friday, July 29th
