Embraer was created in 1969, as an investment of the Brazilian government in the 50´s, to develop the capacity of designing and manufacturing airplanes in Brazil. After three decades of its creation, as a social responsibility effort, the company decided to launch a high school to help less privileged students, coming from public schools. The objective of Embraer Juarez Wanderley High School (JWHS) is to prepare students with a more comprehensive view of global contexts, enabling them to get better access to higher education institutions and empowering them to become protagonists of society evolution. Within the high school, in 2004, the University Preparation Program (UPP) was launched with the following objectives: a) offering the student guidance in choosing their professional career, b) helping them to get and keep internships and jobs while in college and c) to prepare them to become better university students and better professionals. The UPP has 800 hours (out of 6000 total class-hours) offered throughout the high school course, with significant amount of classes dedicated to laboratory activities. In 2006, for the students who aimed to apply for engineering courses, a program entitled Pre-Engineering (PE) was implemented. PE is organized in three phases. The first one, focused on basic subjects, addresses disciplines aiming at professional development for career success (problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, communication, leadership) and IT tools for engineering (internet, Office, CAD). The second phase, more technology oriented, aims to get students into the world of engineering. Disciplines included in this phase are: i) principles of technology (mechanical, electrical, thermal and fluid systems), ii) nature of things (metals, ceramics, polymers and composites) and iii) electrical, electronic and digital systems. The third phase consists of a capstone project, where students are organized in teams to participate in a design-build experience. The challenge is to solve a real world problem related to engineering, aiming at consolidating the knowledge acquired through the previous semesters. The results of this investment on education are exciting. Since 2010, more than 80% of the students has passed the selection processes of the best Brazilian universities. In 2010, the High School was ranked 30th nationwide, in the national exam for secondary schools and 4th among education institutions within São Paulo state. In 2008, the High School ranked first among the high schools in the state. The first promotion of PE students entered the university in 2008 and is finalizing their courses this year. The objective of this paper, within this context, is to present assessment results coming from a longitudinal survey, designed to evaluate the impact of the PE program regarding the objectives above mentioned. The survey was administered to JWHS alumni, who are finalizing their engineering courses this year. Although the program can always be improved, its results indicate the following competencies, highly demanded, were developed through PE program: handling lab equipment, teamwork, communication skills, problem solving, autonomy, working under pressure, and leadership. Opportunities for improvement are also indicated.
Proceedings of the 10th International CDIO Conference, Barcelona, Spain, June 15-19 2014