EngQonnect Queen’s University Engineering: Educational Outreach
Strategic Plan 2013-2018 Tactics 2013-2014
EngQonnect Strategic Plan 2013-2018
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This document is divided into three parts: 1. Long-term: intended to be relevant for at least a decade a) Mission b) Strategic objectives c) Guiding values 2. Medium-term: goals for the next one to five years a) Partners in collaboration b) Financial goals c) Activities undertaken d) Market e) Communication 3. Short-term: tactics to be employed in the 2013-14 academic year a) Outreach activities b) Communication activities
EngQonnect Long Term Mission Queen’s Engineering Outreach will Provide opportunities for Queen’s Engineering students to raise the profile of Engineering as a career choice among youth K-12, teachers and the general public, and increase the capacity of youth to make that career choice.
Strategic Objectives Queen’s Outreach has the following three strategic objectives. All goals and activities created shall meet one or more of these objectives. 1. Attract students into the Engineering profession 2. Raise public awareness about engineering (including teachers. counselors, etc…) 3. Provide learning/employment opportunities for Queen’s Engineering students
Guiding Values Queen’s University and FEAS have a strong reputation for excellence. FEAS outreach shall protect and enhance this reputation by maintaining high quality both in all of its work, and also all outreach work done in the name of Queen’s FEAS.
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Quality Outreach Quality Outreach is characterized by work which meets or exceeds all relevant success targets. The targets, in turn, are based on metrics which are standard to educational outreach. Examples of such metrics include, but are not limited to:
Activities are linked to curriculum and/or current research regarding STEM pedagogy Activities are highly engaging for multiple students’ learning needs and/or cultural context A comprehensive safety plan is created and adhered to for all activities All commitments are honoured in full, e.g. volunteers arrive on time, activities occupy the agreed-upon timeframe, etc.
Outreach success Success shall be measured according to the following metrics, as well as any other necessary situationspecific metrics. Metrics shall be based on outcomes rather than inputs. Evidence shall be collected according to current best practices in the field of Education Metric Measurement method Objective: Attract students into the Engineering profession Note: This will mostly need to be inferred based on positive responses to outreach offerings and increased knowledge of what Engineering is. It is critical to reach children younger than 12 to help them incorporate future STEM studies into their self-identity; however, a causal link over such a long span of time will be difficult to establish. Positive feedback from outreach recipients Exit survey at the end of outreach activity Documented evidence that outreach recipients have achieved Exit survey at the end of outreach activity the learning objective(s) related to STEM Documented evidence that outreach recipients have Exit survey at the end of outreach activity, e.g. developed awareness of the profession of Engineering Draw an Engineer Test (Cunningham, 2005) Documented evidence that EngQonnect activities contributed intake survey to enrollment in Queen’s Engineering Positive feedback from teachers and/or parents Exit survey at the end of outreach activity Phone calls afterward of 15% of adults, selected randomly Requests for return visits Count Number of youth reached Count Feedback 6 weeks later which shows that students have Survey conducted of 15% of participants, retained what they learned. randomly selected Objective: Raise Public Awareness of Engineering Increased participation year on year Count of students Increased knowledge of what Engineering is Quick survey, e.g. “measure this” poster Documented evidence that outreach recipients have Exit survey at the end of outreach activity, e.g. developed awareness of the profession of Engineering Draw an Engineer Test (Cunningham, 2005) Positive feedback from teachers and/or parents Exit survey at the end of outreach activity Phone calls afterward of 15% of adults, selected randomly Objective: Provide learning/employment opportunities for Queen’s Engineering students Number of FEAS students involved Count
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Metric Relevance of skill development to future job prospects Positive feedback from FEAS students
Measurement method Consult with recruiters Survey which collects anonymous feedback from participants, asking for specific examples of skills gained or enhanced.
EngQonnect Medium Term Goals The mission will be achieved through a mixture of high-quality activities and resources. These will be developed iteratively and monitored to measure adherence to success metrics. The process of achieving the mission will also create opportunities for Queen’s Engineering students to gain management and public speaking experience.
1. Partners in Collaboration
Deadline: ongoing
FEAS Outreach takes place within a landscape of outreach initiatives being undertaken by numerous providers, including Engineering student organizations, other faculties at Queen’s, other education providers and non-profit organizations. Outreach effectiveness will be maximized when providers work in concert, to leverage each other’s strengths and avoid duplication of effort. Building and maintaining partnerships is therefore central to the EngQonnect strategy. These partnerships shall include, but are not limited to the organizations listed below. Some characteristics of each partnership are also included. Partner Dean of Engineering
Engineering Undergraduate Society at Queen’s
Other faculties at Queen’s, particularly Arts & Science, Education (including QCOC) & Business.
Partnership characteristics Take direction regarding priorities and projects Provide advice regarding appropriate disbursement of Dean’s Discretionary Fund monies Facilitate relationships with local teachers Advisory role regarding educational context and strategic management Communicate with stakeholders (students and teachers) to validate consistency with the Outreach Guiding Values Provide support as necessary, to help the work conform to these values. Provide Engineering expertise to bolster existing STEM outreach initiatives Work together to provide a consistently high-quality experience associated with Queen’s University Possibly jointly apply for funding, where appropriate and available
EngQonnect Strategic Plan 2013-2018 Partner Queen’s Event Services Public school boards and private schools
Other tertiary education institutions RMC St Lawrence College Other universities outside Kingston STEM non-profits, e.g. FIRST Robotics, CAGIS, etc
Page 5 Partnership characteristics Support the development of, and adhere to central outreach delivery processes Provide guest speakers and out-of-classroom activities, at a competitive rate, to enhance curricular learning in STEM Develop resources to help teachers create richer and more effective STEM learning opportunities for students Work with guidance counselors to improve knowledge of Engineering education and career options Work with curriculum coaches to develop rich problem-solving tasks for use by visiting Engineers Work together to raise the profile of the Engineering profession with the general public Possibly jointly apply for funding, where appropriate and available
Provide engineering expertise and volunteers to enhance the organization’s work with children and youth
Advisory Committee Strike an advisory committee composed of representatives from Engineering faculty and staff, along with other partners in collaboration. The advisory committee shall be governed by its own terms of reference.
2. Financial
Self-sufficiency deadline: 2018
The Outreach program aims to be financially self-sufficient by 2018. The Outreach Coordinator shall work with Advancement to identify and pursue opportunities to raise funds through philanthropic grants and alumni donations. The Outreach Coordinator shall also research other funding sources, such as government programs. Further funds shall come from revenue-generating activities run by FEAS. Following are anticipated expenses in decreasing order of funding priority 1. Operating expenses such as materials, facility rentals and honoraria or gifts for guest speakers and competitors 2. Outreach Coordinator salary 3. Subsidize participation in outreach activities by populations currently under-represented in Engineering 4. Provide wages or honouraria to participating Engineering students
3. Activities The table in the Annex outlines the STEM outreach activities which are being done by or in the name of, Queen’s Engineering.
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In future years, additional activities may be added, depending on delivery capacity and interest. These activities will be determined by the Outreach Coordinator in consultation with the Advisory Committee. The following considerations shall guide the decision regarding which specific activities to pursue: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Revenue-generating for FEAS Revenue draining from FEAS Closely aligned with one or more of the three strategic objectives. Past history of, or measurable and time-bound plan to improve alignment with Mission, Strategic Objectives and Guiding Values
4. Market Geographic: 2013-14 Academic year: Start with Kingston city. Choose schools based on need Over time, expand this market to include outlying rural areas. Further expansion could be to Ottawa and/or northern Ontario. Northern outreach could be done in partnership with AAE. There is also the possibility to market further afield, in communities identified by Admissions as being potentially good sources of applicants to Queen’s. These communities may be in Canada or overseas. Demographic: Students with high academic ability in science and math: Grade 11-12, when they are deciding on university programs Students belonging to under-represented populations (girls, people of colour, people living in poverty): Grades 4-10, when they are developing self-identity When youth is a targeted demographic, the market shall also include the adults in their lives, i.e. teachers and parents General public
5. Communication goals
Deadline: ongoing
See “Tactics” for activities and deadlines for the 2013-14 academic year. Tactics in future years shall ensure that communication includes the widest range of stakeholders practicable. See “Stakeholder Analysis” in the Appendix.
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EngQonnect Short Term Tactics: Academic Year 2013-2014 1. Support, solidify and/or resurrect activities already occurring, and Start some new outreach activities In the 2013-2014 academic year, launch the following activities: Activity Working with curriculum coaches to develop strategic, curriculumlinked rich problem-solving tasks to be led by Engineering students on campus or during school visits Hosting school groups on campus Hosting groups of youth on campus, not related to a school Go ENG Girl Emphasis on Engineering Engineering students visit classrooms Engineer for a Year Ad hoc visits Hold an Engineering design competition with the following characteristics: Design and construction take place before the competition Construction materials are inexpensive Entry fee is sufficient for cost recovery once the competition grows to 150 participants o Make subsidies available for needy participants Support Aboriginal Access to Engineering outreach initiatives
2013-14 goal 2 activities per division in Grade 4-6, 7-8 and 9-10 8 groups for a minimum quarter day each 35 participants 12 participants 5 EFaYs making 7 visits each 10 visits 30 participants Media coverage in print, radio and online – at least one appearance in each medium
As established by AAE
These activities will be debriefed with all participants to assess their effectiveness. They may be modified as necessary, to improve alignment with the Mission, Strategic Objectives and Guiding Values. In addition to the opportunities tabulated above, Engineering students could also help in the following ways:
create a database to organize outreach activities, opportunities, contacts and resources update the Outreach website collect and analyze program monitoring data
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2. Communication Activities (2013-14) At this point, K-12 teachers and Engineering students are the most important stakeholders to communicate with. Teachers will give EngQonnect the best access to children and youth, and Engineering students are required to implement the activities in this plan. Communication with teachers 1. Meet with School Board curriculum coaches to develop ideas and make connections with classroom teachers. School boards to focus on are LDSB and ALCDSB. a. Seek opportunities to communicate with principals 2. Communicate with School Board staff to gain permission to access the students, and spread the word about EngQonnect DONE 3. Send a package to all teachers Grades 4-12 including one or two copies of the magazine, some rulers, and a letter explaining EngQonnect programs. Include brochure in packages to high school teachers. DONE 4. Create an online survey to solicit teachers’ input regarding what EngQonnect could do to add value to classroom programming. Promote this survey in the package. NOT DONE a. Note that it will be necessary to communicate with GREB regarding survey ethics 5. Create and distribute a poster which can be displayed in the school office, classrooms and/or bulletin boards. DONE Communication with Engineering Students 1. Create a poster to promote EngQonnect opportunities. Post in student services, department offices, club offices and bulletin boards. COMPLETED 2. Attend department meetings to promote EngQonnect and ask for help to spread the word. a. Department office staff, in particular, could be a valuable asset. 3. Run a booth during club days in September. NOT DONE 4. Send a broadcast email once per semester, with information about upcoming opportunities and how to volunteer SEPTEMBER 2013: POSTED TO FACEBOOK GROUP FOR EACH YEAR General Communication 1. Update website 2. Maintain conversation with Queen’s Event Services regarding centralized outreach services Engineering Competition Promotion For 2014, the Engineering competition will best be limited to a small number of participants. The goal is to involve family and friends of faculty, staff and students. Promotion shall be internal to the faculty, though posters, presence at department meetings and broadcast emails.
Appendix 1. Activities associated with Queen’s FEAS 2. Stakeholder analysis 3. Glossary of acronyms
1. Outreach Offerings Associated with Queen’s Engineering Type of Offering Audience
Description
When
Provider/ Partner
Roles
Classroom visits Science
Gr. 4-8 K-12 5-12
Math
4-10
International K-12 Development 9-12 Long-term
4-12
Engineering at 11-12 Queen’s Science Club 4-6 Girls Robotics Club
K-12
Engineering students visit classrooms to lead hands-on activities. Students from different faculties visit classrooms to lead hands-on activities. Engineering students support FLASF volunteer during classroom activities to promote science Engineering students visit classrooms to lead hands-on, curriculum-linked activities. Engineering students visit classrooms to lead hands-on, curriculum-linked activities. Students from different faculties visit classrooms to lead hands-on activities. Engineer for a Year program: Engineering student(s) pair with a teacher for a full academic year to provide technical support and a role model for children. Talk to students about Engineering as a career and Queen’s FEAS Engineering students lead lunchtime science activities at schools Engineering students mentor teams FEAS provides financial support
Science Quest Let’s Talk Sept-Apr Science May-June
Sept-Apr FLASF Sept-Apr FEAS Sept-Apr EWB Sept-Apr QPID FEAS – Sept-Apr EFaY
Support and quality monitoring; organize and deliver programming Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming; develop programming; advice Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming Support and quality monitoring; Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming; develop programming; partners; advice; advice
Sept-Nov FEAS Sept-April WISE Jan-Mar
FIRST/FLL
July-Aug
Science Quest
Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming; advice
Summer Camp Science
4-8
Science/ Engineering
7-12
Engineering
6-12
In-kind (manpower and/or room )
Week-long science camps. Objective= fun
Hands-on science and engineering activities in July-Aug the course of a summer camp for Sea Cadets 1-3 day courses on different topics May ≤ 2 days
2 ≤ (time) ≤ 7 days
> 7 days
Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming Support and quality monitoring; deliver RMC/ FEAS programming Support and quality monitoring; deliver ESU programming
Monetary
$ ≤ $200
$$ 200 ≤ (amount) ≤ $1000
Type of Offering Audience
Engineering Promotion
Description
When
Foreign 2-6 week program combining ESL instruction, Jul-Aug students tourism and Engineering activities 11-12 Various activities July Go ENG Girl, a day to let girls and their parents 7-10 girls October learn about Engineering Future Women in Engineering Conference, a 11-12 girls Nov day to let girls know about Engineering Bring Your Kids To Work Day: hands-on Grade 9 Engineering-related activities, campus/ILC Nov tours, attend lectures Booth at Science Rendezvous, a day-long General festival of Science and STEM. Highest appeal is May public families with children aged 5-12.
Provider/ Partner
Roles
FEAS, ESU, Not yet established LDSB Shad Valley deliver programming Support and quality monitoring; deliver ONWiE programming Support and quality monitoring; deliver WISE programming Other Develop programming and monitor quality; Queen’s deliver programming faculties Support and quality monitoring; deliver QCOC programming; Organize and publicize event
Extracurricular Engineering
11-12
Science
4-8 4-6 Girls
Emphasis on Engineering, a series of enrichment activities focused in different Jan-Feb engineering departments After school, weekend, PA Day and/or March Sept-Apr break workshops – undefined at the moment EngSci Day: A day of science activities Nov and Feb
FEAS Science Quest WISE
Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming; develop programming; advice; advice Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming
Hosting groups on campus Engineering
7-12
Makerspace
9-12
Host classes of students and their teachers for Support and quality monitoring; deliver Sept-Apr FEAS hands-on problem-solving tasks programming; bring schoolchildren; advice Not well-defined yet Support and quality monitoring; deliver TBD SparQ Lab programming
Teacher development Engineering profession
Teachers & Guidance counselors
In-kind (manpower and/or room )
Workshop to educate teachers on what the Engineering profession is and how it is different from Science or trades
≤ 2 days
2 ≤ (time) ≤ 7 days
??
> 7 days
FEAS & develop and deliver programming; advice; Faculty of advice Ed
Monetary
$ ≤ $200
$$ 200 ≤ (amount) ≤ $1000
Type of Offering Audience
Open-ended problems
Description
When
Hands-on workshops to train in problemsolving tasks. Teachers will leave with Teachers materials to lead the activities in their own classrooms.
PD Days
Provider/ Partner
Roles Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming; develop programming; develop and deliver programming
FEAS
Mentoring Engineering
11-12 girls FEAS women
Science Fair
5-12
In-kind (manpower and/or room )
Engineering students mentor High School students Working Engineers mentor Queen’s Engineering students Engineering students mentor children and youth preparing for science fair
≤ 2 days
2 ≤ (time) ≤ 7 days
Support and quality monitoring; provide mentors Support and quality monitoring; mentees
Sept-Apr WISE ??
WISE
Jan-Feb
FLASF
> 7 days
Monetary
Support and quality monitoring; mentors
$ ≤ $200
$$ 200 ≤ (amount) ≤ $1000
2. Stakeholder Analysis Who
What the stakeholder can contribute
Message
Queen’s Engineering Faculty members
Queen’s Engineering students
Other Queen’s faculty and students
Teachers, principals, guidance counselors
Educators at other tertiary education institutions, e.g. RMC, SLC STEM nonprofits, e.g. CAGIS, FIRST Robotics
Technical supervision and oversight o Capstone projects o Workshops and activities for children and youth o Speak to parents, e.g. Go ENG Girl
Personnel to do the actual outreach What questions they had before they decided to study Engineering, and attend Queen’s – what persuaded them Infrastructure for outreach Common messaging re. Queen’s University Complimentary programs, to create a fuller offering for teachers and students Strategic topics and/or units which could most benefit from our input What questions students have about career options What barriers students are facing – academic, social, attitudinal – to excellence in STEM Vocabulary and approaches to problem-solving which are taught in high school – to ensure students are able to access prior knowledge Feedback on what has been learned o By the students o By themselves
Complimentary programs, to create a fuller offering for teachers and students
Delivery infrastructure for STEM outreach
Outreach will raise the profile of the university and the profession, which can result in a higher caliber of applicant This could help undersubscribed departments to get the word out to people who are contemplating Engineering school When a grant includes an outreach component, I can take care of it, and ensure that the monies are spent strategically. I can provide a report to send to the funding institution Opportunities to get job-related skills such as leadership, project management and communications Reference Possibly paid Partnerships to meet each others’ outreach needs o Education, Science
Enhance classroom experience Curriculum-linked TLMs Careers information re Engineering
Medium
Department head meetings Dep’t mgrs. Dep’t meetings
Twitter Eng newsletter EngSoc Linked In Dep't mgrs.
Queen’s Enews Other faculty outreach coordinators
Curriculum coaches School board OAME, STAO Monthly newsletter Facebook page Outreach website – resources and links Partnership with teachers’ unions (e.g. ETFO Presenters on the road) TLMs Actual outreach activities Magazine package
Raising the profile of STEM and Engineering can be beneficial to all institutions offering such programs
Face-to-face meetings
We can help build capacity in delivering the Engineering part of STEM
Face-to-face meetings
Who
Parents
What the stakeholder can contribute
At-home support for enthusiasm for STEM Learn STEM alongside their kids
Message
Potential enrichment activities Encourage children to enter a lucrative, wellrespected profession
Medium
Youth
Donors
Questions Feedback on what they enjoyed and what they learned
Operating money Advice
Have fun Learn new stuff Learn about a great career Meet like-minded people Something to pass the time Engineering is a great education to get Queen’s is a great university To secure funding: STEM is increasingly important at a time when enrollment is declining Queen’s, being small and supportive, is an ideal school to bring in and cultivate members of underrepresented populations, such as women, aboriginals and people who grew up in poverty. This diversity is important to maintaining an innovation culture in the country. To maintain the funding relationship Reports about the effect the donation is having
Through teachers Facebook Outreach website – resources and links Outside media (Kingston Whig, Snap Kingston, CBC) Outreach activities for parents and children together Twitter Outreach website – resources and links “Try this at home” hands-on, inexpensive activities Actual outreach activities o Hands-on math/science related o Career talks
Personal communication with Advancement staff The Complete Engineer magazine Cold call by phone and/or email
3. Glossary of Acronyms AAE
Aboriginal Access to Engineering (run by Queen’s FEAS)
ALCDSB
Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board
CAGIS
Canadian Association for Girls in Science
ESU
Enrichment Studies Unit
ETFO
Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
EWB
Engineers Without Borders
FEAS
(Queen’s) Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
FLASF
Frontenac Lennox & Addington Science Fair
FLL
FIRST Lego League (Lego robotics)
LDSB
Limestone District School Board
ONWiE
Ontario Network for Women in Engineering
QCOC
Queen’s Community Outreach Centre (operated by the Faculty of Education)
QPID
Queen’s Project for International Development
RMC
Royal Military College (Kingston)
SLC
St. Lawrence College (Kingston)
STEM
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics
TLM
Teaching and learning material
WISE
Women in Science and Engineering