BOARD # 401: NSF CAREER: Engineering Pathways for Appalachian Youth: Design Principles and Long-term Impacts of School-Industry Partnerships

Hannah Glisson; Felicity Bilow; Jacob R Grohs

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session II
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 6
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55777

Paper Authors

biography

Hannah Glisson Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

visit author page

Dr. Hannah E. Glisson currently serves as a Postdoctoral Associate in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Hannah's research interests include broadening participation in engineering, sense of belonging among women in in engineering, undergraduate student support, and K-12 engineering outreach. She holds degrees in industrial and systems engineering (BS and MENG), higher education and student affairs (MSEd), and engineering education (PhD).

visit author page

biography

Felicity Bilow Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

visit author page

Felicity Bilow is a graduate student at Virginia Tech.

visit author page

biography

Jacob R Grohs Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

visit author page

Jacob Grohs, PhD is Director of the Center for Educational Networks and Impacts at Virginia Tech and Associate Professor of Engineering Education. His primary research interests focus on systems thinking, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and collaborative change. Grohs is an NSF CAREER Awardee and has served as PI/co-PI for several interdisciplinary and multi-party educational research grants.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Broadening participation in the skilled technical workforce is a national priority due to the growing demand for engineers and the need to reflect the nation's diverse population. In rural Appalachian communities, improving education access, quality, and workforce development is especially critical. Students in these regions face unique barriers to accessing higher education and pursuing engineering careers. The Appalachian Regional Commission has emphasized the need to invest in preK-12 education, engage youth in community activities, and develop workforce opportunities in fields such as advanced manufacturing. These efforts are essential for enhancing economic resilience in the region and broadening students’ understanding of what engineering is and who can succeed in it.

Developing large-scale engineering and technical career pathways for Appalachian youth remains challenging due to broader systemic issues. While sparking interest in engineering is vital, previous research shows that this alone does not guarantee students will pursue engineering careers. Earlier phases of this project have focused on (1) school-industry partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) the development of a conceptual framework for rural engineering education, and (3) a systematic literature review on assessing systems thinking in K-12 education.

In recent work, the team has successfully (1) built relationships with individual teachers through outreach and collaboration, (2) conducted a professional development needs assessment, and (3) designed and implemented a two-day workshop for sixteen K-12 teachers in Southwest Virginia. This workshop focused on ways that teachers could integrate engineering content into their curriculum, covering topics like systems thinking, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI) into curriculum design, helping to prepare students for engineering pathways. Hands-on activities, such as a data science challenge and microcontroller programming, were tailored to various subject areas to support diverse educators.

The current phase now focuses on personalized support for teachers who attended the workshop. Key needs identified by the teachers include resources, curriculum guidance, engineering activities, access to guest speakers from the engineering field, and information on preparing students for college-level engineering programs. To address these needs, the research team is offering customized resources, ongoing collaboration and support, and expanded networks with engineers and educators, ensuring long-term integration of engineering concepts into their classrooms. The goal is to build durable partnerships that enhance educational and career opportunities for Appalachian students in engineering.

Citation
Format

Glisson, H., & Bilow, F., & Grohs, J. R. (2025, June), BOARD # 401: NSF CAREER: Engineering Pathways for Appalachian Youth: Design Principles and Long-term Impacts of School-Industry Partnerships Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55777

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Broadening participation in the skilled technical workforce is a national priority due to the growing demand for engineers and the need to reflect the nation&#39;s diverse population. In rural Appalachian communities, improving education access, quality, and workforce development is especially critical. Students in these regions face unique barriers to accessing higher education and pursuing engineering careers. The Appalachian Regional Commission has emphasized the need to invest in preK-12 education, engage youth in community activities, and develop workforce opportunities in fields such as advanced manufacturing. These efforts are essential for enhancing economic resilience in the region and broadening students’ understanding of what engineering is and who can succeed in it.

Developing large-scale engineering and technical career pathways for Appalachian youth remains challenging due to broader systemic issues. While sparking interest in engineering is vital, previous research shows that this alone does not guarantee students will pursue engineering careers. Earlier phases of this project have focused on (1) school-industry partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) the development of a conceptual framework for rural engineering education, and (3) a systematic literature review on assessing systems thinking in K-12 education.

In recent work, the team has successfully (1) built relationships with individual teachers through outreach and collaboration, (2) conducted a professional development needs assessment, and (3) designed and implemented a two-day workshop for sixteen K-12 teachers in Southwest Virginia. This workshop focused on ways that teachers could integrate engineering content into their curriculum, covering topics like systems thinking, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI) into curriculum design, helping to prepare students for engineering pathways. Hands-on activities, such as a data science challenge and microcontroller programming, were tailored to various subject areas to support diverse educators.

The current phase now focuses on personalized support for teachers who attended the workshop. Key needs identified by the teachers include resources, curriculum guidance, engineering activities, access to guest speakers from the engineering field, and information on preparing students for college-level engineering programs. To address these needs, the research team is offering customized resources, ongoing collaboration and support, and expanded networks with engineers and educators, ensuring long-term integration of engineering concepts into their classrooms. The goal is to build durable partnerships that enhance educational and career opportunities for Appalachian students in engineering.

AU  - Hannah Glisson
AU  - Felicity Bilow
AU  - Jacob R Grohs
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - BOARD # 401: NSF CAREER: Engineering Pathways for Appalachian Youth: Design Principles and Long-term Impacts of School-Industry Partnerships
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55777
ER  -