Conference ProceedingExploring the Connection between Foundry-Guided Activities and Holistic, Interdisciplinary Engineering EducationArce-Trigatti, A; Arce, P E; Sanders, J RThis study explores synergies of a holistic, interdisciplinary National Science Foundation - National Research Traineeship (NSF-NRT) Program that leverages a Foundry-guided approach5 to foster integrative thinking and problem-solving skills among and between students.6 Specifically, we look at selected outcomes from a course that is required as part of the first-year experience for student trainees participating in this program. As part of this work-in-progress, we offer insight into students’ growth in specific areas related to interdisciplinary communication. The preliminary findings reveal that students are developing skills related to a deeper understanding of real-world applications through interdisciplinary collaboration and that holistic approaches in engineering education can improve student outcomes. Implications and lessons learned are connected to key areas relevant to the Engineering Unleashed framework.American Society for Engineering Education Southeastern Annual Meeting2025-03-0910603925https://doi.org/2152218Renaissance Foundry ModelHolistic ProfessionalFoundry-guided learningCommunicationInterdisciplinary LearningStarkville, MSNational Science Foundation