The Gateway to Engineering, Science and Technology (GEST) program, within the
UW-Milwaukee College of Engineering and Applied Science, strives to work with local
Milwaukee-area middle and high schools with the goal of identifying and nurturing
underrepresented and minority students who show potential for higher education but
would otherwise not have the opportunity to pursue such studies. The program
includes classroom instruction, labs, and field trips, along with counseling and
tutoring. The overall goals of the program are to emphasize career exploration,
academic advising, and college preparation with instructors coming from
UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), and local community professionals.
In 1974 Rose Daitsman led the push to create this outreach program targeted at young
people from minority populations with the goal of getting them to consider
engineering as a viable career option. In October 1974 the first pilot program was
launched with UW-Milwaukee and Riverside High School participating. In 1975 there
were plans for a work-study program and over the following years more schools were
invited to participate. Young students in the program were exposed to many different
engineering, science, and technology projects, as well as additional instruction and
tutoring. Along with exposing underrepresented students to engineering, parents were
also involved through open houses and classroom participation.
The success of the program was confirmed in 1986 when the Milwaukee Common Council
honored students for their work on the "Theater District" project. This project gave
students the opportunity to participate in the city's planning of a theater district
proposed for downtown Milwaukee, with students taking on the roles of private
architectural and planning consultants.
