Engineers on Wheels for K-12 Education

Kauser Jahan; Joseph Egan

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Conference: 2018 Mid Atlantic Section Fall Meeting
Location: Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, New York, New York
Publication Date: October 26, 2018
Start Date: October 26, 2018
End Date: October 27, 2018
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--31450
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/31450

Paper Authors

biography

Kauser Jahan Rowan University

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Kauser Jahan, is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rowan University. She received her B.S.C.E. from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, an MSCE from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Her passion as an educator and mentor has been recognized by many professional organizations over the years. She is the recipient of the Gloucester County Women of Achievement Award, Lindback Foundation Teaching Award, the NJ ASCE Educator of the Year award, the Gary J. Hunter Excellence in Mentoring Award, the ASEE Environmental Engineering Division Meritorious Service Award, the ASEE Women in Engineering Division Sharon A. Keillor Award and the WEPAN Women in Engineering Initiative Award. She has been instrumental in establishing the Attracting Women into Engineering, the Engineers on Wheels and Engineering Clinics for Teachers programs at Rowan University. She has served as the Institutional Representative and Advisory Board Chair for the Women's Professional Network at Rowan University for six years and currently is an advisory board member of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Council on Education (ACE) Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE). She received a Fulbright award in 2015.

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Joseph Egan

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I am a Senior at Rowan University, currently studying Mechanical Engineering. My research is focused on increasing interest in STEM education in grades K-6 students. We achieve this primarily through interactive, hand-on activities that we bring into local classrooms. These activities engage the students and increases their interest in math and science courses at a younger age. My passion for engineering comes from my childhood interest in robotics and I want to give other students similar experiences.

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Abstract

Engineers on Wheels (EW) is an outreach program primarily for elementary and middle schools. Many school districts struggle with their budgets and usually sacrifice field trips for students. As such a mobile K-12 outreach program was developed to promote engineering careers. Funding was obtained from the Edison Venture Funds to equip two vehicles with attractive wraps portraying the excitement and challenges of engineering.

Engineering students along with s professor travel twice a week during the academic year to local schools districts. A schedule is chalked out with the teacher and the EW team involves the school students in various hands on activities that demonstrate the multifaceted nature of engineering. Engineering students develop and pilot the activities, lesson plans, and handouts. The EW team makes engineering come alive as profession that helps people and the planet. The activities represent all major branches of engineering such as civil, environmental, electrical, mechanical, biomedical and chemical. The activities have been developed with care so that students from all backgrounds find them appealing. A pre- and post survey is conducted to gauge the impact of the mobile program. Results always indicate that the participants have a better understanding of engineering and aspire to be an engineer after exposure to the activities.

Citation
Format

Jahan, K., & Egan, J. (2018, October), Engineers on Wheels for K-12 Education Paper presented at 2018 Mid Atlantic Section Fall Meeting, Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, New York, New York. 10.18260/1-2--31450