Welcome to Pre-Engineering Program (PEP)
Applications Are Now Open!
Las Solicitudes ya Están Abiertas!
Pre-Engineering (PEP) is a weekly Saturday enrichment program for current 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students! We design the program to have hands-on STEM exploratory activities, Empowerment Sessions, and STEM Moments with Homework Help opportunities!
Spring 2025 program cost: $200 per session
*if you participated in a fall 2024 session, you will receive a $50 discount
Cost should not be a barrier to participate! Financial assistance is available on our application!
Program Dates for Spring 2025:
- Day 1 (UConn Hartford): Saturday, March 29, 2025
- Day 2 (UConn Storrs): Saturday, April 5, 2025
- Day 3 (UConn Hartford): Saturday, April 12, 2025
- Day 4 (UConn Hartford): Saturday, April 19, 2025
- Day 5 (UConn Hartford): Saturday, April 26, 2025
A typical PEP Day:
Breakfast and Lunch will be provided!
| Time | Component |
| 9:45 - 10:00 AM | Arrival to campus (drop off or bus) |
| 10:00 - 10:20 AM | Welcome and plans for the day |
| 10:20 - 11:00 AM | Engaging STEM Presentation of the Day |
| 11:00 - 11:45 AM | Hands on STEM Activity |
| 11:45 - 12:30 PM | Lunch |
| 12:30 - 1:00 PM | Empowerment Block |
| 1:00 - 1:45 PM | STEM Choice: Choose to get science homework help, math homework help, or play a STEM Game |
| 1:45 - 2:00 PM | Prepare for dismissal |
Transportation Information (Click The Box Below to See More Information)
Pick up and drop off will be at the UConn Hartford Campus, Front Street Entrance
GPS Address: 15 Front St, Hartford, CT 06103 (next to Rush Bowls Restaurant)
Drop Off Window: 9:45 - 10:00 AM
Pick Up Window: 2:00 - 2:15 PM
A parent or guardian needs to check in with one of our team members (either curbside or inside)
Pick up and drop off will be at the UConn Storrs Campus, Pratt & Whitney Engineering Building (PWEB)
Formerly known as United Technologies Engineering Building (UTEB)
GPS Address: 191 Auditorium Road, Storrs, CT 06269 (behind the Jorgensen Theater)
Drop Off Window: 9:45 - 10:00 AM
Pick Up Window: 2:00 - 2:15 PM
A parent or guardian needs to check in with one of our team members (either curbside or inside)
We are pleased to provide the following bus stop locations
Please stay with your child at the bus stop until they board.
Morning Pick Up Times
Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the time listed below.
The bus will wait up to 10 minutes before leaving this destination
| Estimated Bus Arrival Time | School Name | Address |
| 7:45 AM | Illing Middle School (Manchester) | 227 Middle Tpke E, Manchester, CT 06040 |
| 8:20 AM | CREC Academy of Computer Science Middle School (East Hartford) | 337 E River Dr, East Hartford, CT 06108 |
| 8:50 AM | Carmen Arace Middle School (Bloomfield) | 390 Park Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 |
| 9:15 AM | Jumoke Academy - SMART (Hartford) | 339 Blue Hills Ave, Hartford, CT 06112 |
Afternoon Drop Off Times
Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the time listed below.
The bus will wait up to 10 minutes before leaving this destination
| Estimated Bus Arrival Time | School Name | Address |
| 2:15 PM | Jumoke Academy - SMART (Hartford) | 339 Blue Hills Ave, Hartford, CT 06112 |
| 3:45 PM | Carmen Arace Middle School (Bloomfield) | 390 Park Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 |
| 4:15 PM | CREC Academy of Computer Science Middle School (East Hartford) | 337 E River Dr, East Hartford, CT 06108 |
| 4:50 PM | Illing Middle School (Manchester) | 227 Middle Tpke E, Manchester, CT 06040 |
We are pleased to provide the following bus stop locations
Please stay with your child at the bus stop until they board.
Morning Pick Up Times
Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the time listed below.
The bus will wait up to 10 minutes before leaving this destination
| Estimated Bus Arrival Time | School Name | Address |
| 7:55 AM | Illing Middle School (Manchester) | 227 Middle Tpke E, Manchester, CT 06040 |
| 8:30 AM | CREC Academy of Computer Science Middle School (East Hartford) | 337 E River Dr, East Hartford, CT 06108 |
| 9:00 AM | Carmen Arace Middle School (Bloomfield) | 390 Park Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 |
| 9:20 AM | Jumoke Academy - SMART (Hartford) | 339 Blue Hills Ave, Hartford, CT 06112 |
Afternoon Drop Off Times
Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the time listed below.
The bus will wait up to 10 minutes before leaving this destination
| Estimated Bus Arrival Time | School Name | Address |
| 3:15 PM | Jumoke Academy - SMART (Hartford) | 339 Blue Hills Ave, Hartford, CT 06112 |
| 3:45 PM | Carmen Arace Middle School (Bloomfield) | 390 Park Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 |
| 4:15 PM | CREC Academy of Computer Science Middle School (East Hartford) | 337 E River Dr, East Hartford, CT 06108 |
| 4:50 PM | Illing Middle School (Manchester) | 227 Middle Tpke E, Manchester, CT 06040 |
This information is only for Saturday October 19, 2024 for our event at UConn Storrs
Please stay with your child at the bus stop until they board.
Morning Pick Up Times
Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the time listed below.
The bus will wait up to 10 minutes before leaving this destination
| Estimated Bus Arrival Time | School Name | Address |
| 7:30 AM | Carmen Arace Middle School (Bloomfield) | 390 Park Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 |
| 8:00 AM | Jumoke Academy - SMART (Hartford) | 339 Blue Hills Ave, Hartford, CT 06112 |
| 8:30 AM | CREC Academy of Computer Science Middle School (East Hartford) | 337 E River Dr, East Hartford, CT 06108 |
| 8:55 AM | Illing Middle School (Manchester) | 227 Middle Tpke E, Manchester, CT 06040 |
Afternoon Drop Off Times
Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the time listed below.
The bus will wait up to 10 minutes before leaving this destination
| Estimated Bus Arrival Time | School Name | Address |
| 2:35 PM | Illing Middle School (Manchester) | 227 Middle Tpke E, Manchester, CT 06040 |
| 3:05 PM | CREC Academy of Computer Science Middle School (East Hartford) | 337 E River Dr, East Hartford, CT 06108 |
| 3:35 PM | Jumoke Academy - SMART (Hartford) | 339 Blue Hills Ave, Hartford, CT 06112 |
| 4:00 PM | Carmen Arace Middle School (Bloomfield) | 390 Park Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 |
Contact Information
Contact: engr-peptest@uconn.edu
Urgent Phone Contact: Jerri Robinson (929) 489-4358
Information for UConn Volunteers and Host Student Organizations
| Time | Description | Location |
| 7:30 AM | If you need group transportation, the van will depart at this time | Cutout across from Gampel Pavilion outside of South Garage |
| 8:30 AM | All volunteers need to arrive by this time | Check in Hartford Times Building Lobby
Then go to classroom |
| 8:30 - 9:00 AM | Volunteer Huddle | Classroom |
| 9:00 - 9:30 AM | General PEP Volunteers: Set up breakfast
Org Volunteers: Setup for STEM Activity |
Classroom |
| 9:30 - 10:00 AM | General PEP Volunteers: help escort students from lobby to classroom
Org Volunteers: Receiving students in classroom, facilitating nametags |
|
| 10:00 - 10:30 AM | All volunteers in the welcome to greet everyone and brief introductions
Org volunteers, leave after intros to respective activity rooms |
|
| 10:30 - 10:35 AM | General Volunteers: help escort student from lobby to classroom
Org Volunteers: receive students in respective classrooms |
|
| 10:35 - 11:05 AM | Org Volunteers: Present Overview of STEM Activity
General Volunteers: Be prepared to support as needed |
|
| 11:05 - 11:50 AM | Org Volunteers: Lead facilitation of STEM Activity
General Volunteers: Be prepared to keep students engaged and support as needed |
|
| 11:50 - 11:55 AM | Bathroom break
Org volunteers be prepared to support small group to the restroom as needed General Volunteers: support setup for lunch (as early as 11:30 AM) |
|
| 11:55 - 12:25 PM | Lunch
Folks take breaks as needed, ensuring students still have at least 2 volunteers present |
|
| 12:25 - 1:00 PM | Empowerment Session
Volunteers support as needed, or take a break as needed |
|
| 1:00 - 1:30 PM | All volunteers are split in half between the Homework Help Room and STEM Game Room |
|
| 1:30 PM | General Volunteers: Escort students to main room for regroup
Survey (QR Code on screen) |
|
| 1:45 -1:50 PM | Bathroom Check
Org Volunteers: Begin cleanup |
|
| 1:50 PM | General Volunteers: escort Parent/Guardian Group to Lobby. Wait in the lobby until picked up
VII Staff: Bus Group Only - take attendance in classroom, then escort to the bus Org Volunteers: Begin to clean up |
|
| 2:15 - 2:30 PM | All volunteers support clean up |
Thank you so much for volunteering your time and energy for our Pre-Engineering Program (PEP)!
Host Days (primary organization leading):
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) - September 28
Engineering Ambassadors (EA) - October 5
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) - October 12
Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) and Colorstack - October 19
Signing Up to Volunteer
If you are a part of a student organization:
- Sign up through your organization (check in with your leaders (i.e. President, Outreach Chair, TORCH Chair etc) on how to sign up)
- Org Leaders, be sure to update the spreadsheet called PEP Logistics that was emailed to you.
- Deadline to update the appropriate tab on the PEP Logistics Shared Spreadsheet for all organizations by October 2, 2024
If you are not a part of a student organization, but would like to volunteer
- Sign up to be a general PEP Volunteer here
- Deadline to volunteer for a session is 1 week before the date of the session you are volunteering for
Walk-Through/Practice Session Days :
Society of Women Engineers (SWE) - TBD
Engineering Ambassadors (EA) - Wednesday October 2 at 6:00 - 7:00 PM
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) - Wednesday October 9 at 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) and Colorstack - Wednesday October 16 at 6:00 - 7:00 PM
All Sessions are via MS Teams (for organization and general volunteers only): Join Call Here
Please email engr-peptest@uconn.edu if you or your organization are not able to attend or need to reschedule