About Us
Engineering Momentum is an academic pathway program that brings together 2- and 4-year Colorado colleges to support community college students aspiring to be engineers.
We help Denver-Metro community college students reach great careers in engineering.
Engineering Momentum (previously the Denver-Metro Engineering Consortium, DMEC) is a consortium of local community colleges, 4-year institutions, and industry partners that seek to significantly increase the number of engineering professionals from groups typically underrepresented in engineering. Both the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado Denver, as well as the five Denver-metro community colleges are participating in the project. The community college partners include Arapahoe Community College, the Community College of Aurora, the Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College, and Red Rocks Community College.
HOW IT WORKS
The Engineering Momentum Pathway
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This optional program, offered over 4-weeks in the summer, gives you a jump start on your community college math course or offers a refresher for those who are still a bit shaky in math after their first year of college. Not only can you earn a summer income, but you'll also receive an excellent foundation for your engineering pursuit.
Engineering Summer Bridge
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STEM Core at Denver-Metro Community Colleges
Receive wrap-around student support, academic guidance, mentorship, and resources to take you from a 2-year associate degree at one of our partner community colleges to completing a 4-year B.S. in Engineering at CU Boulder or CU Denver.
After your first STEM Core year, you can gain real-world experience through industry or university research internships. You'll make valuable connections, learn about specific types of engineering, and meet other students with similar ambitions.
Paid Internship
Receive 4-year transfer support so that you can earn your bachelor’s degree in engineering from prestigious institutions such as CU Boulder or CU Denver, equipped with practical skills and knowledge.
Engineering Degree
Launch a successful career in engineering, supported by a network of professionals, a respected education, and a strong resume.
Engineering Career
PROGRAM DETAILS
Program Mission
The program aims to address our nation’s engineering participation challenge through an intense focus on group historically underrepresented in engineering—women, Hispanic, African American, Native American, and Veterans—and link first-generation and economically disadvantaged community college students with paid internships to provide the financial support they need to pursue full-time enrollment and subsequent STEM pursuit. An overarching thrust of Engineering Momentum is to build college knowledge in community college students.
Objectives
The goal of Engineering Momentum is to increase the number of underrepresented groups earning associate degrees and transferring to undergraduate engineering programs—accomplished through the creation of multi-year, year-round transfer pathways that integrate academic coursework with paid research and internship opportunities, with wrap-around student support and STEM career awareness.
Engineering Momentum will broaden participation of underrepresented students by developing clear, accessible, and supported pathways to 2-year associate degrees, to internships with STEM employers, transfer opportunities to 4-year research institutions and subsequent bachelor’s degree attainment, and opportunities to enter high-demand, high-wage engineering careers.
PARTNER INSTITUTIONS
Supported by the Office of Naval Research, U.S. Department of Defense
THE TEAM
Meet the dedicated team driving the success of the Engineering Momentum program.
Nick Stites
Engineering Momentum Principal Investigator and Director of the Integrating Teaching and Learning Program, University of Colorado Boulder
Janet Yowell
Engineering Momentum Project Director and Director of Community College STEM Initiatives, University of Colorado Boulder.
Chris Anderson
Engineering Momentum co-Principal Investigator and Senior Director of Academic Success and Transfer Pathways, University of Colorado Boulder