The Knowledge Review The 20 Most Innovative STEM College and Universiti | Page 42

The
20
Most
Innovative
STEM
College and Universities
to Watch, 2017 T R
The Cooper Union
Through outstanding academic programs in architecture, art and engineering, The Cooper Union for the Advancement
of Science and Art prepares talented students to make enlightened contributions to society.
Founded in 1859 by Peter Cooper, industrialist and philanthropist, The Cooper Union offers public programs for the civic, cultural and
practicable enrichment of New York City.
The Cooper Union’s Albert Nerken School of Engineering provides a rigorous and progressive education to its students. Engineering is
fundamentally about solving problems, and Cooper gives its students the tools and skills to do so. The school has multiple K-12 STEM outreach
programs designed to meet the needs of underrepresented students while introducing them to science-related fields. These programs include
Summer STEM, a six-week program for high school sophomores and juniors in which students work in teams to solve an engineering problem
while learning presentation and writing skills (the program has been running for over 25 years); STEM Saturdays, a 10-week, tuition-free
program held twice during the school year that teaches high school students basic engineering concepts; STEM Days, one-day science
workshops provided free of charge for fourth through twelfth graders; and High School Inventors, in which students from two nearby New York
City high schools are immersed in a rigorous, hands-on engineering project.
Additionally, Cooper Union undergraduates teach within many of these K-12 programs and act as mentors for the younger students to encourage
interest in STEM subjects. The Cooper Union continues to represent the cutting edge in the development of STEM higher education.
The Cooper Union: “Education is the Key to Civic Virtue and Harmony”
• Cooper Union is committed
to excellence and brings
together motivated and bright
students, nurturing and
developing their talents while
encouraging them to excel
and learn at the highest
levels. Degree programs are
designed to prepare students
to enter the workplace
immediately after graduation
or to pursue graduate study.
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• Cooper Union’s Albert
Nerken School of
Engineering maintains
high standards and
requires 135 credits to
matriculate. This school is
one of three schools that
comprise The Cooper
Union; the others are the
School of Art and The
Irwin S. Chanin School of
Architecture.
• The faculty at The Cooper
Union instills students with
the desire and the abi