Program Components

Academic Counseling

Academic counseling has two major thrusts. The first is to advise CHROME students as to the proper courses to take. The counselor-sponsor would fulfill this advisory role.

The second area of academic counseling is to assist CHROME students in the selection of post-secondary school options. Students learn about different colleges and universities through bulletins, college fairs, on-site visits, and visits to CHROME Clubs from minority youth enrolled in a college or university.

Through academic counseling, CHROME students are able to select the proper course work for admittance into targeted degree areas and make the best choices of the college or university which best meets their needs.

Career Education

Students are exposed to a variety of career choices throughout their CHROME experiences. This occurs through guest speakers at club meetings, exposure to a variety of professions via field trips and meeting CHROME members at the Annual Meeting or picnic.

Field Trips

CHROME has among its membership an array of engineering and technically-related firms. CHROME students have resource persons from all member firms who will schedule visits to their facilities, supply a resource person for tours, questions and answers and/or hands on experiences. Because CHROME covers such a large geographic area, most CHROME Club members do not know each other; field trips serve as a means whereby CHROME students from different schools throughout Hampton Roads are provided enriching networking opportunities.

Student-Teacher Annual Recognition Symposium Picnic

CHROME will select a small number of students and sponsors for special recognition at the Student-Teacher Annual Recognition Symposium (STARS) Picnic, to be held in Spring 2007. CHROME Clubs are asked to submit the names of those students who have sought to maintain a high grade point average, who have attended CHROME meetings and outside functions, and who have demonstrated leadership characteristics. Those students and their families will be invited to the STARS Picnic where they are presented with a certificate and a gift from CHROME. Students and club sponsors will be able to interact with CHROME members in business and industry, government, and academia.

CHROME Clubs

One of the major advantages of the club structure is that it provides a continuous nurturing process for students from elementary through high school.

At the elementary school level, students are provided with enriching experiences in math and science, and are encouraged to begin course selection in math and science that will enable them to complete the more advanced classes in high school. While good grades are encouraged, CHROME views the intermediate grades as the time to lessen the fear of math and science, with less focus on grades. Students are exposed to career options in engineering, mathematics, science and technology through guest speakers, videos and field trips.

By high school, students will have had enough positive, meaningful experiences in math and science to make appropriate career choices in science, engineering, and technical fields. Students are provided with opportunities to make such career selections possible with assistance in preparation for SATs, counseling on scholarship opportunities, and with the college application process. Students’ interests in technical fields are strengthened and broadened through additional club programs and field trip experiences.