Outreach to Prospective Engineering Students: Assessing Michigan Technological University's YES! Expo

摘要

According to the National Science Board, we must increase interest in STEM education and careers to maintain our position as a global scientific and technical leader. The number of students indicating interest in engineering, engineering related, and computer related fields on their ACT exams has plummeted. Ethnic and gender diversity in engineering continues to be low. In a response to this declining enrollment and interest, Michigan Technological University annually brings together industry, institutions of higher education, governments, and the K-12 education system to offer the annual YES! ( Youth Engineering and Science) Expo, a career awareness event at Eord Field in Detroit, Michigan for 15,000 students and 1.500 teachers. Using pre- and post-event surveys to assess the impact of the event, results indicate that the YES! Expo has a significant positive effect on students' educational and career goals.