The project is a comprehensive recruiting effort designed to increase the number of students in engineering and engineering technology, particularly in the Illinois Valley Community College district. At the local level, the objectives of the project are to increase awareness of and interest in engineering and engineering technician careers, to assist in preparing students to enter engineering and engineering technology programs by integrating science, technology and math into activities, and to increase enrollment in engineering technology programs at Illinois Valley Community College. Major project activities include: (1) offering project-based short-term events to interest a broad base of high school and middle school students, (2) offering project-based camps for middle school students, especially young women, (3) organizing high school engineering technology clubs, (4) offering a Taste of Engineering Careers course to high school juniors and seniors with college credit, (5) creating a leadership team for high school students, (6) providing exciting special projects for high school students, such as building a musical instrument, a project from the e-CREATE program at Purdue University, (7) developing and disseminating promotional materials targeting young people, parents, adults, and women, and (8) publicizing successes of participants in area media . The investigators are collaborating with two other ATE programs, MatEd Center at Edmonds Community College and the RCNGM Center at Connecticut Community College, to share approaches and to broaden their audience. The evaluation effort, involving both internal and external evaluators, is using surveys of students, teachers, counselors, parents, and industry representative along with data on participation, enrollment, and career choices to monitor awareness, interest, and enrollment, particularly among women. Dissemination is being accomplished through postings on the project's website and through presentation and workshops at state and national conferences, particularly the ASEE and NAWI conferences. Broader impacts include the dissemination of their materials and results, the middle and high school outreach efforts, and the focus on women, an underrepresented population in engineering and engineering technology.
