ChiS&E & ITEST

The Chicago Pre-College Science and Engineering Program (ChiS&E) provides highly-engaging and age-appropriate hands-on science and engineering activities for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students in grades K-12 and their parents. The NSF grant program that supports ChiS&E—Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST)—is intended to address the shortage of U.S. professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The program develops student and parent knowledge and a love of learning in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. ChiS&E accomplishes this by providing teaching tools and learning experiences to teams of teachers and parents. This special teaming approach is unique to ChiS&E and an integral part of its ability to generate a shared vision of the possible among students and parents alike. ChiS&E's most successful outreach is its Science, Engineering, and Technology for Students, Educators, and Parents (SETSEP) program, which offers My Little Engineer activities on Saturdays for students, parents, and teachers in partnership with the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.