COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTER SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY

Increasing Momentum through Peer-mentoring and Community Transformation in L.A. (IMPACT LA) is an ECST community-engaged curriculum program that takes our students beyond the classroom into our local community to partner with organizations and address identified needs. Students use their Community Cultural Wealth and apply their classroom knowledge to design and build solutions for the organizations and the people they serve.

IMPACT LA PROVIDES multiple ways for Cal State LA students to become involved.

• Peer-mentoring opportunities through different ECST programs,
• Informal opportunities through the Golden Eagle Makers Student Club
• More formal learning opportunities are available through three new elective courses- "Human-Centered Design Skills," "Community Problem-Solving Projects," and "Build Your Career."

Learn More About IMPACT LA

For more information about IMPACT LA, please contact Dean Nancy Warter-Perez at [email protected] or Mechanical Engineering Professor Chris Bachman at [email protected].

Pre-college and first-year programs designed to inspire and strengthen students’ engagement with engineering, computer science, and technology, build strong fundamentals and develop the college community. We invite you to explore the Acceleration Initiative programs.

• Summer Transition to ECST Program (STEP) prepares all Pre-Engineering and Pre-Computer Science incoming freshmen to be successful in their course of study at Cal State LA by facilitating the transition from high school to college, reinforcing and developing math skills necessary to meet ECST major requirements, and building community. Students meet other students in their college, connect with ECST student organizations, obtain general information about the campus, and begin their relationship with their academic advisors and faculty. More About STEP.
   
• ECST First-Year Experience (FYrE@ECST) is a first-year cohort program that provides students with skills and support for their ongoing success at ECST. Launched in 2015, FYrE@ECST supports student retention and success through hands-on engineering, physics, and computing courses, opportunities for students to develop lasting relationships through block scheduling with a cohort group, and dedicated staff advisors and peer mentors to ensure excellence in core courses. More About FYrE@ECST.
   
• Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement Schools Program (MESA-MSP) offers pre-college students college and career exploration in the STEM fields. Industry partners such as Boeing, JPL, and the Department of Water and Power, to name a few, partner with MESA to sponsor events at universities across Southern California to propel student diversity and achievement in STEM. Hands-on activities and workshops give pre-college students a chance to learn about STEM careers and gain an understanding of higher education, campus life, and the opportunity to interact with college students and professional mentors. Visit Cal State LA MESA. More About MESA-MSP at Cal State LA.
   
• LAunchPad is a two-week summer program where we will introduce you to a few of the exciting ways that engineers and computer scientists can make the world a better place. You’ll learn about computing and data science, how to make your cell phone control a robot, and how to test and keep clean the air we breathe and the water we drink. Visit LAunchPad. More About LAunchPad.
   
• Successful Transfer and Retention (STAR) program at Cal State LA supports College Futures Foundation's (CFF) work to ensure that more students who reflect California’s diversity will complete a bachelor’s degree. Through the STAR program, we are looking forward to establishing engineering and technology pathway with community colleges and developing a pre-and post-transfer peer mentoring program, thereby enhancing institutional capacity to support transfer student success in STEM fields. More About STAR.

A program that places student teams in an industry setting, where they combine theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills to create real-world solutions for client-identified problems. More About ECST Capstone.

A state-of-the-art workspace to inspire and promote hands-on learning, collaboration, and innovation, with tools and spaces for student design projects. Visit the ECST Makerspace.

Provides scholarships and other support to deserving students.

Provides the Dean of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology with support to help implement the college’s Strategic Plan.