2023 Summer Technical Workshops
For rising 9th - 12th graders. Students will choose to attend one workshop, both weeks of workshops will be identical. Commuter and residential options will be offered during each week of the workshop. Residential accommodations will be available for out-of-town students. Columbia area residents will be expected to commute daily.
June 12 - June 16
Residential rising 10th - 12th graders will check in on June 11.
Residential rising 9th graders and all commuters will check in on June 12.
June 26 - June 30
Residential rising 10th - 12th graders will check in on June 25.
Residential rising 9th graders and all commuters will check in on June 26.
About the Summer Workshops
The Partners for Minorities in Engineering and Computer Science (PMECS) summer technical workshop is a program designed to address the critical need of motivating minority students to enter and successfully complete post-secondary education in the fields of engineering and computer science. The workshop will be a five day session to be held at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus focused on aiding in preparing the students for college, help develop their communication skills, enhance their technical background, and to prepare the students to move successfully from the relatively supervised environment of high school to the self-disciplined collegiate and corporate environment.
PMECS Summer Technical Workshops are held on the campus of the University of South Carolina during the summer of each year. Approximately 120 students are expected to participate in the weeklong residential workshop event, and about 40 students are expected to participate in the commuter workshop.
For all workshops, emphasis will be placed on deductive and inductive thinking through creative problem solving. The activities are designed to be fun and challenging. The objectives of the seminar include:
- Stimulating increased interest in applied math and science problems.
- Familiarizing academically qualified minority students with career opportunities in engineering and engineering-related fields.
- Informing students of the high school prerequisites necessary for eventually entering a college of engineering.
- Inspiring students toward excellence in their high school course work.
A closing ceremony will be prepared for participants and their parents on the final day of the workshop. The program will serve as an opportunity for parents to meet the coordinator and volunteers who can offer encouragement in fostering students’ academic excellence and in ensuring that the students choose a high school curriculum which will leave all options open. High-achieving minority students will be honored after their fourth year in the program
How to Apply
2023 PMECS New Student Application:
The following form must be submitted by a student, parent, or guardian: https://forms.office.com/r/V4rXgX82jg
2023 PMECS School Nomination Form:
The following form must be submitted by a teacher, counselor, or other school representative:
https://forms.office.com/r/bjdSHVrpMa
Current Report Card or Transcript:
Current grades must be submitted electronically or by mail. An official transcript
is not required. Two ways to submit:
- Email your grades to pmecs@mailbox.sc.edu.
- Mail your grades to the following address:
301 Main St.
Columbia, SC 29208
ATTN: Brian McCaster
Swearingen Engineering Center
Student Services, 1A10F
Registration Fee:
- $75.00 for Rising Freshmen.
- $125 for Rising Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
Your payment will be returned if the student is not selected to participate for 2023.
Make your check or money order payable to "PMECS".
There is no online payment option. Please mail your payment to the following address:
301 Main St.
Columbia, SC 29208
ATTN: Brian McCaster
Swearingen Engineering Center
Student Services, 1A10F
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, April 14, 2023.
Freshmen/Sophomore Workshops
The primary focus of this workshop is to introduce the students to the many fields of engineering and the opportunities that can be derived from them. Test taking strategies will be shared to reinforce mathematics and verbal skills. Additionally, the students will be involved in "hands-on" activities that are experiments and challenges that reinforced engineering activities covered in the classroom lecture environment.
Junior/Senior Workshops
These workshops concentrate on "in-depth" studies of the various engineering fields. Visits will be made to corporate member sites and the workshops will be geared more toward real "hands-on" applications. This will include the actual shadowing of various engineers, and active involvement in the civil/environmental engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and electronics/radio laboratories. The students will also receive "hands-on" computer training that includes basic computer operations and programming, and Microsoft Office Product experience.