Group of students posing in front of New York Skyline

Stevens Technical Enrichment Program

"Connecting Students to Success" is the mission of Stevens Technical Enrichment Program (STEP). The department offers a comfortable, welcoming and supportive environment for undergraduate students from different backgrounds. An open door policy encourages students to drop in for peer or professional support - personal, academic, career and more. STEP students are active in all areas within the campus community; they are leaders, scholars, athletes, artists, and campus ambassadors.

STEP is also the home of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), Program. EOF is a comprehensive student support program that provides financial, academic and non-academic support for participating students.

STEP Programs

STEP Bridge Summer Program

Bridge is the summer transition for incoming first year students accepted into STEP. It is a mandatory six week residential program (beginning from the fourth Sunday in June and concluding on the first Friday in August).

Mathematics Immersion Program (MIP)

The Mathematics Immersion Program (MIP) is a three-week summer program for New Jersey Undergraduates currently enrolled at New Jersey Colleges and Universities, and who are recipients of a New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) grant.

Group of Art Harper Saturday Academy students working outside on a project

The Art Harper Saturday Academy

The Art Harper Saturday Academy is a multi-year program that connects Stevens to high school students from under-resourced communities who are interested in pursuing college majors and careers in STEM related fields.

History

In 1968 Stevens Institute of Technology created the Stevens Technical Enrichment Program (STEP) to “expand access to engineering and science to minorities” (Clark, 2000), and thus help increase the pool of different students in these fields. STEP was one of the first programs of its kind in the country; it was Stevens’ response to a national problem and reflected the university’s reputation for innovation.

Jess Davis, Stevens’ 4th President sought private funds to implement a program which would address the continued low number of different students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). He enlisted the help of a group of concerned undergraduates and faculty members who responded by implementing STEP - a Saturday enrichment program and tutoring services for high school students from New York City, Hoboken, Jersey City and surrounding areas. The program contributed to helping these students acquire the skills and knowledge to be eligible for acceptance into competitive universities and technical majors. It also offered a path by which talented local high school students from different groups and low income families could be admitted to Stevens.

At its inception STEP was a pre-college program for high school students, but its history also has included additional components fully or partially funded by the Federal Government (TRIO Upward Bound Program), New Jersey government (Educational Opportunity Fund - EOF) and private donors, foundations, and corporations (Middle School Program, Accelerated Mathematics Program for high school juniors, and the Bridge and College Programs). Each component contributed to building a “continuous pipeline of support” for students.

Today the Bridge, College and EOF Programs continue STEP’s mission to help increase the pool of different and low income students within the STEM fields, and also provide support to students from other diverse backgrounds. STEP is an important piece of Stevens past, present and future.

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