With an ever-growing demand for new engineers, future employers are revving up career interest for students just clearing middle school. In a high-profile effort that will launch this week, three nonprofit educational groups and well-heeled corporate supporters are forming and funding engineering “academies” at 13 U.S. high schools by fall 2008. Organizers aim to have up to 110 such programs in place two years later that will include civil engineering and architecture among other fields that will be come part of high school curricula as early as ninth grade
The program will enable students to take on top of their normal schedule an additional class or two in engineering courses specifically geared to their math and science ability and will involve presentations and hands-on projects. Biotechnology and aerospace engineering electives also will be available.