Conference Session

Successful K-12 Programs for Girls & Minorities

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Regina Middleton, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Shelly Perdomo, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst were polled as a follow up todetermine if attending Career day influenced their decision to attend the College of Engineeringat UMass Amherst. Data was entered and complied in an excel spreadsheet for organizationalpurposes.Data CollectionThe primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of WEP Career Day andexamine it as a possible model for success in recruitment of female students in the field ofengineering. Furthermore, this study will also explore and assess the perceptions of femalestudents and high school counselors of the WEP Career Day at UMass Amherst. The datacollected from this study is based on completed student and counselor/teacher evaluations.The student

Conference Session

Gender & Minority Issues in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

LaRuth McAfee, Case Western Reserve University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

demonstrations illustrate general polymerscience concepts, as well as describe the student’s project. They additionally serve as long-termrecruiting tools for PEP. PEP students are expected to do at least one demonstration eachsemester they are in the program. Such demonstrations serve as ways to empower students asadvocated by Elmesky9.While PEP is a means of directly impacting a select group of high school and middle schoolstudents, the organizers recognize that it is important for the program to touch a larger number ofpeople. Parents and guardians of the participants are expected to attend an evening event in thespring that welcomes the incoming class of Polymer Envoys, provides facility tours, introducesthem to faculty and graduate mentors, and

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K12 Teachers

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brant Miller, University Of Minnesota; Tamara Moore, University Of Minnesota

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

.Overview of SDSM&T RET ProgramThe main objective of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) ResearchExperience for Teachers (RET) Site: “Inspiring Educators in Rural America through Research”is to provide an authentic research experience to practicing middle and high school science, math,and technology teachers. As an outcome of the research experience, the teachers take back totheir classroom newly acquired experiences, knowledge, and demonstrations which they willreadily share with their students. The objectives of the SDSM&T RET Site are: 1. to provide ten (10) sixth through twelfth grade teachers (RET Research Assistants) the opportunity to work side-by-side with undergraduate students, graduate students

Conference Session

Gender & Minority Issues in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karla Korpela, Michigan Technological University; Shalini Suryanarayana, Michigan Technological University; Christine Anderson, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Page 13.1318.12 • provide advice concerning resources (people, potential partnerships, and funds) for Educational Opportunity programs • provide direction in the development and improvement of the Department’s precollege career explorations • recommend improvements in advertising and marketing strategies for Department programs • provide advice for fine tuning Educational Opportunity business processes The greatest impact the Board has had is in its very presence on campus. It aggressivelyquestions staff, faculty, students and the upper administration about our commitment to diversity.The Board is an advocate that consistently reminds our fairly isolated campus that we must be adiverse university and that we

Conference Session

Successful K-12 Programs for Girls & Minorities

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Patricia Tolley, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Deborah Sharer, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Anthony Brizendine, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Michael Phillips, Department of Engineering Technology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Adam Harris

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

Carolina at Charlotte(UNC Charlotte), the National Science Foundation, and local partners. NCJETS involves over 30middle and high schools from seven counties. The purpose of the program is to engage studentsin educational, interesting, and challenging activities that: (1) introduce them to variousdisciplines and career opportunities afforded by the engineering profession; (2) inform themabout two- and four-year college admission requirements and actions they need to ensure theireligibility for admission; and (3) establish a sense of community with Lee College students andfaculty prior to their graduation from high school. Week-long resident summer camps areprovided for middle and high school students, where the high school students receive a

Conference Session

Successful K-12 Programs for Girls & Minorities

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce Gehrig, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Deborah Sharer, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Stephen Kuyath, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Anthony Brizendine, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

also changed annually. 7. A Conference Day with concurrent sessions by COE students, faculty, alumni and industry representatives. Club members, sponsors and parents are able to interact with student organizations, partner educational institutions and a variety of industry representatives from throughout North and South Carolina through informational tables and booths. As mentioned earlier, one of the conference sessions contains the Public Speaking Competition of the career exploration contest.Middle school clubs have been provided with balsa wood bridge and Legos MindStorm robot kits. Projectpersonnel and NCJETS mentors are currently involved in developing a club and competition structure thatwill best serve

Conference Session

Engineering in Middle Schools

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Juanita Jo Matkins, College of William and Mary; John A. McLaughlin, McLauglin Associates; Eugene Brown, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Gail Hardinge, College of William and Mary; Nancy West, College of William and Mary; Robert Stiegler, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division; Kirk Jenne, Office of Naval Research

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

) studies havebeen used to determine in a statistically significant fashion how the interventions of which thisprogram consists can be tied to the measured achievements. Changes in the skills, knowledge,and attitudes of the teachers and students will be described as well as the influence of thisprogram on changing student attitudes toward possible STEM careers. The human subjects-basedresearch was conducted with the approval of the Institutional Review Board of the College ofWilliam & Mary.The results show that as a result of participating in the program, students have an increasedinterest in pursuing STEM careers and that they exhibit increased knowledge in and ability to usescience and mathematics. Teachers indicate a high level of support