MSEP Programs
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ALVA
ENGINEERING ALVA APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
ALVA is also offered through the UW GenOM Program and UW Michael G. Foster School of Business.
ALVA is a partnership between industry, research labs and the university. Students are assigned to high tech or research jobs that improve their college financing and give them an early taste of a professional career. The students work six hours a day and spend two hours a day in rigorous engineering based, mathematical problem-solving workshops, and are paid for a full eight-hour day. Students who complete ALVA are well-prepared for the intensive work required in college-level mathematics and pre-engineering curriculum. MSEP ALVA is a program for the engineering focused incoming University of Washington freshmen.
Open to all students, ALVA is a PAID, high technology, 9 to 10 week summer internship experience targeting University of Washington freshmen students from African American, Hispanic and Native American communities who are interested in pursuing studies in Engineering, Computer Science, Physical Sciences, or Mathematics. The weekly experience consists of 30 hours of high technology work assignments at a business or research site augmented with 10 hours of workshops to promote excellence in mathematics. ALVA, the Alliances for Learning and Vision for Underrepresented Americans, promotes industry-college-community partnerships to improve minority participation in engineering and science.
Student Challenges
FFour hurdles facing entering freshmen are: poor financing; difficulty in acquiring math problem-solving skills needed for the demanding pre-engineering series of classes; lack of a community of peer scholars; and perceiving a vision for their future in engineering or science. With the support of business and industry, ALVA is poised to help entering students excel in their college studies and eventually earn degrees in engineering and science. The mission of ALVA is to improve the environment for underrepresented minority participation in engineering and science, and to provide industry, academia and communities with an avenue to combine resources to develop a program of excellence for tomorrow's workforce. The University of Washington develops the daily schedule for the students with instructors from participating businesses, nearby universities or former ALVA students. A counselor is available for students each evening and on weekends to help with homework, arrange activities and provide support.
ALVA Supporters
Since 1993, ALVA has increased the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority engineering and science students. Past and current supporters of ALVA include: ALCOA; Bechtel National, Inc.; The Boeing Company; British Petroleum; Fleur Hanford; Ford Motor Company; Hewlett Packard; IBM; Intel; NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratories; NSF's LSAMP Pacific Alliance; Siemens; University of Washington STEM; University of Washington Engineered Bio-materials; Washington State MESA.
More Information
To find out more about ALVA, contact the Engineering Advising and Diversity Center at 206-543-1770 or email eadc@u.washington.edu
