COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING PARTNERS WITH WALNUT HILLS HIGH SCHOOL TO OFFER COURSES
Ohio State College of Engineering is partnering with Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati to offer a college-level engineering course sequence to students at the school. Students can receive college credit for the course, as well as learn more about engineering as a career option.

The primary reason for offering the classes at Walnut Hills, an urban, public, college preparatory school, is to expose students to engineering by offering a course that all Ohio State incoming freshman engineering students are required to take. The course, "Introduction to Engineering," offers a hands-on engineering experience as well as an overview of the many engineering disciplines available for study.

The Walnut Hills course offers the same level of instruction Ohio State's freshman engineering students receive; course books, lab experiments and course requirements are the same. One difference is that Ohio State freshmen take the course over two quarters, while the Walnut Hills students are taking the course across an entire school year. Engineering professors work closely with Walnut Hills math and science faculty to introduce the course materials. The College of Engineering has assigned a Graduate Teaching Associate to work directly with the Walnut Hills program throughout the year.

A diverse group of more than 50 Walnut Hills students currently take the course. The students receive math or science high school credit, and can receive Ohio State engineering course credit if they choose. General Electric has donated funds to pay for the program's supplies which include software, lab equipment, and textbooks.

Ohio State's partnering with Walnut Hills is part of a national trend within engineering schools to offer engineering coursework to middle and high school age students. For example, University of Washington engineering students help teach math to eighth graders in Seattle, using hands-on methods for demonstrating engineering concepts; Georgia Tech is partnering with Rockdale County Public Schools to introduce students to telecommunications and information technology; and University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign brings students to campus for science coursework.