PREP Program Overview
PREP (Pre-Freshman Engineering Program) is a free, three-summer academic adventure hosted by the SUU STEM Center for Teaching and Learning and held in partnership with Event Horizon Spaceworx. Designed for motivated middle school students who love to explore, create, and solve problems, PREP takes learning beyond the classroom through challenging courses, hands-on experiments, engineering projects, and real-world STEM experiences.
Each summer, students tackle three exciting courses and a Challenge Project designed to stretch their thinking, spark creativity, and exercise the whole brain. Courses build on concepts students encounter in their regular classrooms while introducing deeper mathematical reasoning, scientific investigation, engineering design, and technology. Students also participate in field trips, special events, and the annual cardboard boat race, connecting what they learn to the world around them.
Year 1: Explore
Logic: Put your brain to the test with puzzles, patterns, and logical challenges! Students will explore truth tables, build compound statements, investigate set theory, and tackle two-column proofs. Along the way, they will discover how to break down complex problems, recognize relationships, and build sound arguments. These skills are useful far beyond the classroom, from engineering and scientific research to everyday decision-making.
Introduction to Engineering: Discover how engineers turn ideas into real-world solutions! Students will experiment with measurement and simple machines while exploring the fascinating concepts of work, energy, and the engineering design process. Through hands-on demonstrations and design challenges, they will learn to plan, build, test, and improve their creations.
Topics in Problem Solving 1: Become a creative problem-solver by taking on challenges that put mathematical thinking to the test! Students will investigate questions, explore different strategies, look for patterns, and discover more than one way to approach a problem. They will learn to evaluate their solutions, make sense of their results, and apply what they’ve learned to unfamiliar situations. Along the way, they will build confidence, sharpen their reasoning skills, and discover how math can help make sense of the world around them.
Year 2: Engage
Algebraic Structures: What do numbers, patterns in nature, and the rules of mathematics have in common? More than you might think! Students will explore algebraic structures such as groups, rings, and fields to uncover the patterns and relationships that make mathematics work. Through hands-on examples and real-world connections, they will discover how abstract mathematical ideas help explain the world around us while strengthening their analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Introduction to Physics: Why do objects move, balance, or fall? How does electricity power the devices we use every day? Students will investigate the fascinating world of physics, exploring forces, motion, equilibrium, work, energy, and momentum, along with electricity and magnetism. Through hands-on experiments and demonstrations, they will see physical principles in action and discover how scientists and engineers use them to solve real-world problems.
Problem Solving 2: Ready to tackle problems that require creative thinking and clever strategies? Students will dive into engaging mathematical challenges that encourage them to ask questions, recognize patterns, test different approaches, and make sense of their results. They will learn to adapt their strategies, explain their reasoning, and apply familiar concepts in new and unexpected ways. These experiences build confidence, creativity, and the flexible thinking needed to take on increasingly complex challenges in mathematics and STEM.
Year 3: Excel
Cryptography: Step into the exciting world of secret messages, code breaking, and digital security! Students will discover how mathematics keeps information safe as they explore classical ciphers, modular arithmetic, prime numbers, and modern encryption techniques. They will practice cracking codes, create their own secret messages, and uncover the mathematical strategies behind secure communication.
Probability and Statistics: How can math help predict outcomes, reveal patterns, and make better decisions? Students will investigate the fascinating world of probability and statistics, exploring counting techniques, probability models, and statistical patterns. They will learn to collect, organize, and analyze data, create charts and tables, calculate measures of center and spread, and explore introductory regression. Using R programming for data analysis, students will turn raw numbers into meaningful insights, make predictions, and investigate real-world questions. - For an extra dose of adventure, students will put their skills to the test in a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired activity, using probability and statistics to plan strategies, weigh risks, and discover how mathematics can influence the outcome of an adventure!
Computer Science: What makes technology work, and how can we help keep it secure? Students will explore the foundations of computer science, including programming, electronics, and cybersecurity. They will learn how computers follow instructions, how programs are tested and improved, and how digital information can be protected. Through hands-on challenges and experiments, students will investigate how technology works, sharpen their computational thinking, and discover how computer science helps solve problems in the world around them.
All Three Years: Learning Beyond the Classroom
Field Trips and Special Events: Fridays are reserved for special on-campus activities and off-campus field trips. Field trips introduce students to real-world STEM applications, careers, and technologies, helping them connect classroom concepts to the work of scientists, engineers, and other professionals.
Challenge Projects and the Closing Celebration: Every year, students apply their learning through a hands-on Challenge Project. These projects encourage creativity, collaboration, persistence, and practical problem-solving, and are showcased at the PREP Closing Celebration.
Closing Celebration: The final day of PREP is an opportunity for students to showcase what they have learned and accomplished throughout the summer. Students present their Challenge Projects to family members, PREP sponsors, and SUU campus partners, demonstrating the creativity, problem-solving, and STEM skills they’ve developed. It’s a time to celebrate their hard work, growth, and achievements as they wrap up another exciting summer of learning.
A Pathway to Future Opportunities: From exploring foundational concepts in Year 1 to applying advanced skills in Year 3, students build the knowledge, confidence, and curiosity to take on new challenges. PREP helps students prepare for advanced high school coursework, future college opportunities, and careers in STEM.
Ready to explore, engage, and excel? PREP invites motivated students to challenge themselves, discover new interests, and grow their potential—one summer at a time.