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Session 1392

"WISE INVESTMENTS”: A Yearlong Pilot Program Introducing Engineering to Teachers and Counselors

May Movafagh Mowzoon, Mary Aleta White, Stephanie L. Blaisdell, Mary R. Anderson-Rowland

Arizona State University

Abstract

A recent, successful project within the Women in Applied Sciences and Engineering (WISE) Program at Arizona State University, WISE Investments, was designed to teach middle and high school math and science teachers to integrate engineering concepts and applications into their curricula. Integrating engineering into math and science curriculum provides relevance and context for what the students are learning, encourages students to continue their math and science studies, and motivates students to consider engineering and related careers. Furthermore, by presenting engineering as a helping profession, these applications may particularly appeal to females and minorities. Unfortunately, many math and science teachers are unaware of how engineers use math and science to solve problems.

WISE Investments was also designed in order to teach middle and high school guidance counselors how to enhance their efforts to support and to encourage underrepresented students to pursue engineering and related careers. Including guidance counselors helps to create a support network for underrepresented students’ pursuit of engineering and related fields. These interventions will ultimately increase the number of women and minorities pursuing degrees in engineering and related fields.

As a kick-off to the yearlong program, WISE Investments brought 24 middle and high school math and science teachers, from 11 schools, and six district-level administrators, from five participating school districts, to ASU for a two-week intensive summer workshop in engineering. For the first week of the workshop, a counselor from each of the 11 schools also joined each team, but participated in a somewhat specialized workshop.

On-campus labs focussed on different areas of engineering with a unifying theme of "Engineering as a Helping Profession.” They included hands-on activities that could be replicated or easily modified for use in a middle school or high school classroom. Teachers participated in two industry tours and heard a number of presentations by lunchtime keynote speakers from engineering-related industries. A two-week internship with one of the industry partners was included in the WISE Investments program as part of the year-long activities for the participants.

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Mowzoon, M. M., & White, M. A., & Blaisdell, S. L., & Anderson-Rowland, M. (1999, June), Wise Investments: A Yearlong Pilot Program Introducing Engineering To Teachers And Counselors Paper presented at 1999 Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina. 10.18260/1-2--8061