A pre-engineering program has gained more appeal with the expansion of college-credit transfer benefits, high school students said.
The Project Lead the Way program continues to draw support from The University of Wisconsin System and other schools since its 1996 debut.
System officials agreed in November that some of the program's courses can count toward the science requirement for admission to any of the UW schools.
Other schools like Northcentral Technical College continue to explore agreements that make it easier for the courses to automatically transfer as college credit.
The program introduces engineering concepts to high-school students in the hopes they will pursue careers and research related to the field. Students said more peers will likely accept the program if it's recognized by more schools.
The new UW admission agreement will appeal to students who do not like biology or chemistry, said Wausau West High School sophomore Taylor Garr.
"A lot of kids aren't interested in that stuff," Taylor, 15, said. "I think engineering is a more entertaining way to get their science credits."
Taylor's interest in computers led her to sign up for the program's introductory course as a freshman. This year, she is enrolled in the program's Civil Engineering and Architecture course.
Students who have an 85 percent grade or higher can take an exam to receive three college credits for each program course. The credits were not the selling point for Taylor but she said she might want them to count toward a civil engineering degree in college.
At Wausau East High School, student Ryan Trzebiatowski could earn up to 12 college credits before he graduates this fall. The senior has taken four Project Lead the Way courses.
"The opportunities are kind of endless with programs like this," Trzebiatowski, 18, said. "With our world, there's so much competition with this type of field."
The program gives students hands-on experience so they can decide if they want to pursue engineering in the future, Wausau East instructor Greg Cisewski said.
Cisewski said enrollment in the Project Lead the Way courses have increased steadily between 2005 and 2007.
The new agreements will allow the program credits to be transferred easily in more colleges and universities, he said.
