K 12 Redux: Sending College Students Back (In)To Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to communicate effective ways graduate and undergraduate college students, particularly those in science and engineering, can be utilized as resources in K-12 schools. Recruitment at middle and high schools is a tried and true way for university students to enhance an engineering college's appeal. But there are a number of other ways the engineering student can be a significant resource to both K-12 students and teachers, all the while improving their own marketability to prospective employers.

The Impact On Engineering Graduate Students Of Teaching In K 12 Engineering Programs

“…Many K-12 engineering education initiatives implemented by U.S. universities and colleges have been well documented, providing us with descriptions of program logistics, partnerships, methods and curricula, as well as the impact on involved students, teachers and undergraduate and graduate students. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Several initiatives have further evaluated their participating engineering students and revealed measurable impacts in the areas of communication, teamwork, understanding of K-12 education, and time management. [1][2][3][4][5][6] As one of those established K-12 engineering programs, we are specifically interested in addressing the question, "How have engineering students' experiences with K-12 engineering education affected the students' capabilities and long-term impacts on the K-12 community?…”