The University of Tennessee, Knoxville partners with various schools in East Tennessee counties including, Monroe County and Campbell County Public Schools, and previously Union County Public Schools on the PiPES: Possibilities in Postsecondary Education and Science project. This five-year project, made possible by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides college-going awareness information and opportunities to learn about science, technology, engineering, math, and medical science (STEMM) careers for all ninth- and tenth-grade students at Jellico High, Sequoyah High, Sweetwater High, and Tellico Plains High, and in previous years, Campbell County High and Union County High.
Primary investigators from UT, professors Melinda Gibbons and Erin Hardin, oversee the project, which includes two summer camp experiences at UT, in-school curriculum delivery to ninth- and tenth-grade students, a video series to boost students’ science self-efficacy, a senior college prep course, and professional development opportunities for high school science teachers.