T2-B: Planning, Implementation, and Impact of K-12 Outreach Program Project ENspire

In this paper, girls’ views of engineering before and after completing hands-on engineering activities through Project ENspire are evaluated. Project ENspire was held at Mississippi State University (MSU) in 2016 and 2017. Participants were placed into small groups and given three engineering-related activities to complete with mentorship. To encourage the participants to explore new activities on their own, the event activities were designed using common items. Additionally, each participant was given a Book of ENspiration, detailing the activities’ goals, materials, and engineering topics/disciplines. Project ENspire is structured around upperelementary girls, when many girls begin losing interest in STEM subjects. The goal of Project ENspire is to inspire girls in this sensitive age group to create, design, and explore. Surveys administered show that the event had a positive impact on the participants’ opinions of engineering and their ability to be successful in the field. Future plans include expanding the event to other cities and improving the pre- and post-surveys. Overall, this program has been successful in exposing young women from diverse backgrounds to engineering topics and design practices and is working to inspire STEM interest in participants