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This Work in Progress (WIP) paper describes the development of a middle school program focused on an integrated STEM architectural engineering design project and exploration of career pathways. The current engineering workforce is increasingly aging, needing new engineering graduates to meet the industry demands. It is crucial to create inclusive educational programs in STEM to expose and connect with youths from diverse backgrounds, especially the demographics that are underrepresented, in STEM career paths. Middle school is a pivotal time for generating students’ awareness of and promoting pathways into STEM careers; however, opportunities to engage in engineering are often lacking or nonexistent, particularly for low-income students. Additionally, low-income students may bring particular experiences and skills from their backgrounds to engineering that may increase the innovation of engineering solutions. These assets are important to recognize and cultivate in young students. The Middle School Architectural Engineering Pilot Program (MSAEPP), drawing from social cognitive career theory and identity-based motivation, is an intervention designed to affect STEM-related content and STEM identities, motivation, and career goals for low-income students using relatable topics within the building industry. The focus on architectural engineering activities is because buildings, and the industry they represent, touch everyone’s lives. The MSAEPP is planned to be implemented through the Talent Search Programs at middle schools in Pennsylvania. The Talent Search Program is one of the Federal TRIO Programs dedicated to assisting high school students in furthering their education. Penn State Talent Search Programs serve 22 schools in 8 impoverished school districts. The pilot program engages middle school students (seventh and eighth grade) in architectural engineering-related lessons and activities, by exploring engineering identities interactions with architectural engineering industry professionals, and by planning potential career pathways in architectural engineering and other STEM careers with Talent Search Counselors. The purpose of this paper is to present the background and process used in this funded NSF project for developing the suite of architectural engineering related lessons and activities and the research plan for answering the research question: How do the combination of meaningful engineering learning, exposure to professional engineers, and career planning, focused on building industry engineering applications, increase identity-based motivation of students from low-income households and marginalized students in pursuing STEM careers? Answering this question will inform future work developing interventions that target similar goals and will validate and expand the identity-based motivation framework. Keywords: middle school, identity, motivation, informal education.
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Work-In-Progress: Recruitment of Pre-Engineering Students via an Advanced Manufacturing Pathway Paper presented at 2019 FYEE Conference , Penn State University , Pennsylvania. https://peer.asee.org/33745
Abstract This paper is a “Work-in-Progress”. This paper describes the synergetic intersection of two programs designed to bring a particular group of minority students into aspects of a STEM career field. One program, sponsored by a national laboratory is designed to inform and train a these students about advanced manufacturing methods, in this case 3-D printing. The other program is also aimed at that same group of minority students but the purpose of the second program is to aid the students in becoming baccalaureate engineers. The programs exist simultaneously at a small group of tribal colleges or universities, TCU’s in the north-central US. The key question to be answered here is how can cooperation between the two programs resulted in a net positive impact to the surrounding community. A brief historical summary of similar programs trying to attract student talent into similar but different career fields will be given, i.e. in-home health services versus nursing or. MD programs, computer technician versus computer program. Some of the prior problems could be attributed to limited available human talent and a lack of program cooperation. A short description of each program will be given highlighting similarities and differences and the resources needed by each. The advantages of working the programs in tandem in particular areas will be discussed and examples given. Potential future opportunities and directions provided to each student by conducting the programs in cooperation will be illustrated. It is believed that combining such programs, experiences that allow students to have some immersive time within different career paths, will provide them with the opportunity to evaluate their own reaction and suitability to each career path, allowing them to envision themselves in those areas. This should provide for a more informed career choice and other benefits. Identifying how this cooperation might impact first year engineering students, leading to better persistence in the curriculum, is a major goal of this work.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1642047
- PAR ID:
- 10312296
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- 2019 First Year Engineering Education Congference
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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This Work in Progress (WIP) paper describes the development of a middle school program focused on an integrated STEM architectural engineering design project and exploration of career pathways. The current engineering workforce is increasingly aging, needing new engineering graduates to meet the industry demands. It is crucial to create inclusive educational programs in STEM to expose and connect with youths from diverse backgrounds, especially the demographics that are underrepresented, in STEM career paths. Middle school is a pivotal time for generating students’ awareness of and promoting pathways into STEM careers; however, opportunities to engage in engineering are often lacking or nonexistent, particularly for low-income students. Additionally, low-income students may bring particular experiences and skills from their backgrounds to engineering that may increase the innovation of engineering solutions. These assets are important to recognize and cultivate in young students. The Middle School Architectural Engineering Pilot Program (MSAEPP), drawing from social cognitive career theory and identity-based motivation, is an intervention designed to affect STEM related content and STEM identities, motivation, and career goals for low-income students using relatable topics within the building industry. The focus on architectural engineering activities is because buildings, and the industry they represent, touch everyone’s lives. The MSAEPP is planned to be implemented through the Talent Search Programs at middle schools in Pennsylvania. The Talent Search Program is one of the Federal TRIO Programs dedicated to assisting high school students in furthering their education. Penn State Talent Search Programs serve 22 schools in 8 impoverished school districts. The pilot program engages middle school students (seventh and eighth grade) in architectural engineering related lessons and activities, by exploring engineering identities interactions with architectural engineering industry professionals, and by planning potential career pathways in architectural engineering and other STEM careers with Talent Search Counselors. The purpose of this paper is to present the background and process used in this funded NSF project for developing the suite of architectural engineering related lessons and activities and the research plan for answering the research question: How does the combination of meaningful engineering learning, exposure to professional engineers, and career planning, focused on building industry engineering applications, increase identity-based motivation of students from low-income households and marginalized students in pursuing STEM careers? Answering this question will inform future work developing interventions that target similar goals and will validate and expand the identity-based motivation framework. Keywords: middle school, identity, motivation, informal education.more » « less
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