RELATED INITIATIVES LED BY THE PACKARD CENTER

Bringing the Wider Community Through Polytechnic's Doors

Among the major activities which have been conducted by the Packard Center in the recent past are:

NCSSSMST Student Leadership Conference

In October, 2003, 300 students, representing high schools in 14 states, all of which are affiliated with the National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools for Mathematics, Science and Technology, gathered at Polytechnic for a three-day conference. They used New York City as their campus, visiting a variety of bridges, cultural facilities and colleges, where they interacted with leading practitioners in science and engineering, including Polytechnic professors. The conference theme, Realizing the American Dream Through Science and Engineering, governed the types of experiences to which they were exposed.

Polytechnic-Settlement Houses Program

Thanks to a grant from the USEIX Foundation, NYU-Poly students were assigned as technology teachers at Settlement Houses throughout New York City, where they worked with children and often their parents to introduced them to the computer as a tool for knowledge and communication.

Knowledge Worker Educational Alliance (KWEA)

This consortuim of colleges and universities seeks to prepare well-rounded knowledge workers needed by metropolitan-area industries. Established in October 1999, this partnership enables students to earn a bachelor's degree from one of the member-colleges and a master's degree from Polytechnic Institute of NYU in a coordinated, five-year program of studies. A feature of this initiative is the series of annual conferences of faculty from the member-colleges to develop their skills and knowledge of e-learning activities.