The MSEN Pre-College Program began at UNC Chapel Hill in 1988 through private funding for this site in 1992. The UNC Chapel Hill Pre-College Program is one of the six Mathematics and Science Education Network (MSEN) Pre-College Program sites in the state of North Carolina. The UNC Chapel Hill site serves 17 middle schools and high schools in Durham County, Orange County and the Chapel Hill/Carrboro City schools. Current enrollment figures show the program serving over 830 students grades six through twelve.
The primary goal of the MSEN Pre-College Program (PCP) is to broaden the pool of students pursuing mathematics-and science-based majors and careers. The PCP actively recruits and prepares students of average to above average ability in grades 6-12 who have not been sufficiently exposed to mathematics-and science-based courses and careers. Participation in the PCP by local agencies (LEAs) is entirely voluntary.
The PCP comprises a range of programs, some offered at the students' schools and some on the university campuses. Programs in the schools' systems are in partnership with MSEN and are primarily supported by local funds. Programs at the universities are supported in part by legislative appropriation and in part by grants from a variety of federal agencies, private foundations, and other sources.
