STEM Core

How STEM Core Works

STEM Core aims to assist students who are interested in a STEM major/career path and need to take Algebra and Trigonometry as prerequisites to Calculus.

Students may begin participating in STEM Core with Intermediate Algebra (Math C), Trigonometry (Math D), or College Algebra (Math 1). (Note: if students need to take Elementary Algebra prior to their STEM Core year, they should enroll in MATH 903 during the summer term.)

In short, students join a cohort of other students in math classes that will prepare students for Calculus and advanced STEM classes in one academic year or less.

During this academic year, students are strongly encouraged to take Introduction to Engineering (EGR 10) and/or Python Programming (CIS 7), along with English 1A or 1B, to be ready to apply for a paid summer internship.

Program Benefits

• Free use of course textbooks for all STEM Core mathematics courses
• Extra tutoring resources for STEM Core courses (both within and outside of the classroom)
  
• STEM Workshops
  • Career speakers
  • Resume/Interview techniques
  • Professional development
  • College transfer
• Field trips to local tech companies/industry partners/transfer institutions
• Opportunities to compete for exclusive PAID summer internships at NASA Ames, Lockheed Martin, SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator), CalTrans, and other employers in Silicon Valley.  (In order to apply for summer internships, students must complete the STEM Core sequence of courses with a 3.0 g.p.a.) The current internship payment is $6000 for 8 to 10 weeks of full-time work. Subsequently, there may be the opportunity to continue working part-time during the academic year.
  

Eligibility

Students are Eligible by:

• Successful completion of MAT 903 (Elementary Algebra) or its equivalent by the end of the summer 2020 term; and,
• Completing the STEM Core application and interview process.

Please note: success in this course sequence requires students to be willing to participate, interact, and collaborate.

Mornings • Monday - Friday

MAT C will be offered in the fall term, taught by Max Sklar, from 10 a.m. to 12:05 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The class, in this intensive formula, is 9 weeks long.

Please reserve Friday mornings for possible workshops or visits to Silicon Valley companies, as permitted.

Afternoons • Monday - Friday

Other course possibilities include

• EGR 10 Introduction to Engineering
• CIS 007 Python Programming
• CIS 040 C++ Programming
• CIS 043 Software Development with Java Programming

The courses above are helpful for those who will compete for PAID summer internships. They are great introductory courses, but you are not limited to them. During the year you will also want to take English 1A (or, perhaps, English 1B) and other general education requirements or other science courses to complete your major.

Spring 2021

Printable Spring 2021 Schedule

In the Spring 2021 semester, Math 1 (8 weeks) and, immediately following, Math D (8 weeks) are taught, from 10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., Monday through Thursday, by Max Sklar.

As in the fall semester, please keep Friday mornings available for possible workshops and site visits.

Also, as in the fall semester, please take an Engineering and/or Computer Science course to be competitive for a PAID summer internship. You may begin with any of the following:

• EGR 10 Introduction to Engineering
• CIS 007 Python Programming
• CIS 040 C++ Programming
• CIS 043 Software Development with Java Programming

While the courses above are great introductory courses, you are not limited to them.