K-12 summer engineering outreach programs - Curriculum comparisons between ages, minorities, and genders

Abstract

Ensuring that the level of the material presented/used for a K-12 program is not too easy or too advanced can be a challenge to the instructor. Also ensuring that the material will be of interest to a variety of students (i.e., minorities, females, etc.) can be a challenge. Lawrence Technological University has two outreach programs each summer. One program, called the Summer Science Institute, is for high school juniors and seniors. The other program, called Summer Odyssey, is for middle school students. Both programs explain what engineers are, explain what engineers do, and promote problem solving skills. The students also experience various disciplines (or sub-disciplines) of engineering through a combination of presentations, laboratory experiences, and design work. In other words, much of the same material and activities are used for both programs. Although neither of these programs are specifically for minorities or women, a large portion of the students are female and approximately half are minorities. A review of the material/activities for the summer of 2004 is presented. In addition, in the summer of 2004, the students were surveyed to determine if the material was at the appropriate level, which activities were most valuable/useful, if certain activities appealed more for women, and if certain activities appealed more to minorities. These survey results and more are presented.