BOARD # 408: NSF ITEST: Broadening Teens’ Perceptions of Engineering through a Human-Centered, Accessibility-Focused Engineering Design Internship

Stacey Forsyth; Tim Ogino; Jessica Sickler; Angelina Ong

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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 Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 6
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--55784
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55784
Download Count: 1

Paper Authors

biography

Stacey Forsyth University of Colorado Boulder

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Dr. Stacey Forsyth is the director of CU Science Discovery, a K-12 STEM education outreach organization at the University of Colorado Boulder. In her role, she collaborates with campus and community partners to develop, implement and evaluate innovative STEM education programs for K-12 students and teachers, including summer and after-school STEM classes, teen internships, teacher workshops and community outreach programs. She also serves as Co-PI of the NSF ITEST-funded Build a Better Book Teen Internships project, which engages youth from underrepresented backgrounds in the design and fabrication of accessible books, toys and games for children with visual impairments. Stacey is passionate about inspiring and supporting kids and teens to ask questions and find creative solutions for real world problems, and in diversifying the future STEM workforce by expanding opportunities for youth to explore STEM fields. Prior to joining CU Boulder, Stacey taught biology at a small liberal arts college in New Hampshire and led science outreach efforts at the University of Arizona’s BIO5 Institute. She received her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona in 2002.

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Tim Ogino University of Colorado Boulder

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Currently the Manager of School & Teacher Programs at CU Science Discovery, a K-12 STEM Outreach organization based at the University of Colorado Boulder, Tim Ogino (M.S., M.Ed.) brings over 10 years of professional experience as an educator in formal and informal spaces. He holds a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and M.Ed. in Secondary Education and teacher licensure for secondary mathematics and physics. He currently specializes in managing educational STEM outreach programs and community partnerships for CU Science Discovery across the State of Colorado.

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Jessica Sickler J. Sickler Consulting

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Jessica Sickler is Principal of J. Sickler Consulting, an evaluation and research firm based in Pittsburgh, PA. She is an evaluator and researcher who specializes in helping organizations understand what works and why in their informal education efforts. In her work, she explores the variety of ways learning happens within museums, gardens, zoos, and public engagement programs, centered on giving educators the data they need to spark insights for improvement and innovation. She holds an M.S.Ed. from Bank Street College of Education in museum education and K-6 teaching.

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Angelina Ong

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Angie Ong is an Evaluation and Research Associate at J. Sickler Consulting where she collaborates on evaluation, research, and capacity-building projects in the informal learning sector. She has over 15 years of experience in the audience research field as an independent consultant and museum-based evaluator. Angie has also taught graduate-level courses in Museum Evaluation at the University of Washington and University of Toronto. As an advocate for culturally competent and inclusive research practice, her approach centers on building meaningful and productive relationships among stakeholders and audiences. Angie holds an M.A. in Museum Studies from The George Washington University and an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada.

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Abstract

Despite efforts to diversify the STEM workforce, many historically marginalized groups continue to be significantly underrepresented in STEM, particularly in engineering [National Science Board 2022; Hynes et al., 2016]. Many youths have a limited perception of engineering, and often this fails to align with how they view their own interests and strengths [Hynes et al., 2016; Hynes & Maxey, 2018; National Academy of Engineering, 2008].

This paper describes an NSF ITEST project that addresses the need to attract, motivate, prepare and support a more diverse engineering workforce. The _____ project (NSF ITEST award no. 2049109) engages teens in an engineering design experience grounded in principles of universal design and focused on engineering for accessibility. Teen internships take place at four sites around the country, including a university, public library, high school, and science center. Internship sites strive to engage a diverse cohort of interns who are representative of their community and may or may not identify as having a strong interest in or affinity for engineering. This paper provides an overview of the project and shares findings from multiple iterations of the teen internship program across the four sites. The program builds on a foundation developed by the _____ project (NSF ITEST award no. 1615247) over several years (2016-21) and provides expanded opportunities for teens to participate in deeper, more comprehensive engineering internship experiences.

Across all four sites, teens engaged in engineering internship experiences–ranging from month-long intensive summer programs to a seven-month in-school program–in which they designed and fabricated accessible media (e.g., games, books, toys, tactile maps, etc.) for community clients who are blind or have low-vision (BLV) or have other special needs. Endeavoring to model principles of authentic engineering design work environments (appropriate for teens), staff mentors provided coaching, mentorship, and training, while teens collaborated in small teams to prototype client-requested products. Regardless of location, each site's internship program incorporated key design principles aligned to the theoretical research framework underpinning this work, including authenticity of projects, collaboration with community partners, 21st century workplace skills, mentorship, and opportunity to approach prototype completion (__ et al., 2024). Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including pre-post surveys and audio reflections, interviews with site leads, and focus group discussions, the team measured the impact of the internship on teens’ perceptions of engineering, identities as engineers, awareness of disabilities and the importance of universal design, and confidence and competence in an array of technical skills and 21st century workplace skills.

Across all sites and iterations, 151 youth (grades 9-12) participated in the research study. Early findings indicate that the internship experience broadens youths’ perceptions of engineering, increases their confidence and competency with technical skills and 21st century workplace skills, and significantly increases their awareness of accessibility issues, particularly related to the BLV community. Planned future work includes assessing longer-term impacts of the ___ internship experience by surveying program alumni one to three years after their participation and examining the relative impacts of different educational environments on intended outcomes.

Citation
Format

Forsyth, S., & Ogino, T., & Sickler, J., & Ong, A. (2025, June), BOARD # 408: NSF ITEST: Broadening Teens’ Perceptions of Engineering through a Human-Centered, Accessibility-Focused Engineering Design Internship Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--55784

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Despite efforts to diversify the STEM workforce, many historically marginalized groups continue to be significantly underrepresented in STEM, particularly in engineering [National Science Board 2022; Hynes et al., 2016]. Many youths have a limited perception of engineering, and often this fails to align with how they view their own interests and strengths [Hynes et al., 2016; Hynes &amp;amp; Maxey, 2018; National Academy of Engineering, 2008].    

This paper describes an NSF ITEST project that addresses the need to attract, motivate, prepare and support a more diverse engineering workforce. The _____ project (NSF ITEST award no. 2049109) engages teens in an engineering design experience grounded in principles of universal design and focused on engineering for accessibility. Teen internships take place at four sites around the country, including a university, public library, high school, and science center. Internship sites strive to engage a diverse cohort of interns who are representative of their community and may or may not identify as having a strong interest in or affinity for engineering. This paper provides an overview of the project and shares findings from multiple iterations of the teen internship program across the four sites. The program builds on a foundation developed by the _____ project (NSF ITEST award no. 1615247) over several years (2016-21) and provides expanded opportunities for teens to participate in deeper, more comprehensive engineering internship experiences.  

Across all four sites, teens engaged in engineering internship experiences–ranging from month-long intensive summer programs to a seven-month in-school program–in which they designed and fabricated accessible media (e.g., games, books, toys, tactile maps, etc.) for community clients who are blind or have low-vision (BLV) or have other special needs. Endeavoring to model principles of authentic engineering design work environments (appropriate for teens), staff mentors provided coaching, mentorship, and training, while teens collaborated in small teams to prototype client-requested products. Regardless of location, each site&#39;s internship program incorporated key design principles aligned to the theoretical research framework underpinning this work, including authenticity of projects, collaboration with community partners, 21st century workplace skills, mentorship, and opportunity to approach prototype completion (__ et al., 2024). Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including pre-post surveys and audio reflections, interviews with site leads, and focus group discussions, the team measured the impact of the internship on teens’ perceptions of engineering, identities as engineers, awareness of disabilities and the importance of universal design, and confidence and competence in an array of technical skills and 21st century workplace skills. 

Across all sites and iterations, 151 youth (grades 9-12) participated in the research study. Early findings indicate that the internship experience broadens youths’ perceptions of engineering, increases their confidence and competency with technical skills and 21st century workplace skills, and significantly increases their awareness of accessibility issues, particularly related to the BLV community. Planned future work includes assessing longer-term impacts of the ___ internship experience by surveying program alumni one to three years after their participation and examining the relative impacts of different educational environments on intended outcomes.  
AU  - Stacey Forsyth
AU  - Tim Ogino
AU  - Jessica Sickler
AU  - Angelina Ong
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - BOARD # 408: NSF ITEST: Broadening Teens’ Perceptions of Engineering through a Human-Centered, Accessibility-Focused Engineering Design Internship
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55784
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--55784
ER  -