Impact Statement Template FINAL
National Engineering Week Challenge Issue: U.S. children are falling behind other leading nations in the educational fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Currently, in the educational realm, changes are being made to increase the United States ranking in these fields and to better prepare and educate youth. These changes include more comprehensive programs that allow youth to explore and understand the interconnectedness of STEM topics.
Extension Response: 4-H has been working on developing its own comprehensive STEM program opportunities that would allow youth to gain valuable skills, knowledge, career readiness training and understanding about STEM topics. National Engineering Week Challenge is one specific part of this program that cultivates a deeper understanding of engineering as a potential career path. This event allows youth to experience, through hands on exploration, the basic engineering designs and principals while participating in a youth friendly competition. Youth are tasked with an engineering challenge and allowed a specific amount of time to complete the task. Once completed, youth from across Orange County come together and find out who best completed the challenge. This year youth where challenged to design, build and race 1 of 4 different cars (balloon powered, mousetrap, rubber band and propeller, and electrical). On February 21, youth came together, raced their cars, and also had them judged based on their engineering design and knowledge. Impacts: 84 youth purchased kits 62 youth participated in the contest or in makeup contests. Youth ages ranged from 5-16 years old Mixed gender and racial diversity 8 volunteers (adults and youth) assisted with running the event A primary goal of this program is to demonstrate to the youth ways in which engineering impacts many facets of what they see and experience every day. We want them to see that the Engineering field can be fun, engaging, and rewarding. We encourage collaboration and gleaning amongst the youth participating and also encourage developing strategies for self-improvement. We try and accomplish this using volunteers, who are involved in this field, as role models. These volunteers are instructed to encourage all participants creating a positive learn environment. Through recruiting engineer volunteers we are bridging the gap between 2 populations and forming a professional network that young people can tap into as they continue through their adolescence and beyond. Overall, the high participation in this program has demonstrated interest and continuing inquiry among Orange County 4-H families. It is our hope to cultivate and further develop it creating a premier engineering experience and event within New York state 4-H.
Contact Name: Vanessa Merrill
Contact email: [email protected]
Extension Response: 4-H has been working on developing its own comprehensive STEM program opportunities that would allow youth to gain valuable skills, knowledge, career readiness training and understanding about STEM topics. National Engineering Week Challenge is one specific part of this program that cultivates a deeper understanding of engineering as a potential career path. This event allows youth to experience, through hands on exploration, the basic engineering designs and principals while participating in a youth friendly competition. Youth are tasked with an engineering challenge and allowed a specific amount of time to complete the task. Once completed, youth from across Orange County come together and find out who best completed the challenge. This year youth where challenged to design, build and race 1 of 4 different cars (balloon powered, mousetrap, rubber band and propeller, and electrical). On February 21, youth came together, raced their cars, and also had them judged based on their engineering design and knowledge. Impacts: 84 youth purchased kits 62 youth participated in the contest or in makeup contests. Youth ages ranged from 5-16 years old Mixed gender and racial diversity 8 volunteers (adults and youth) assisted with running the event A primary goal of this program is to demonstrate to the youth ways in which engineering impacts many facets of what they see and experience every day. We want them to see that the Engineering field can be fun, engaging, and rewarding. We encourage collaboration and gleaning amongst the youth participating and also encourage developing strategies for self-improvement. We try and accomplish this using volunteers, who are involved in this field, as role models. These volunteers are instructed to encourage all participants creating a positive learn environment. Through recruiting engineer volunteers we are bridging the gap between 2 populations and forming a professional network that young people can tap into as they continue through their adolescence and beyond. Overall, the high participation in this program has demonstrated interest and continuing inquiry among Orange County 4-H families. It is our hope to cultivate and further develop it creating a premier engineering experience and event within New York state 4-H.
Contact Name: Vanessa Merrill
Contact email: [email protected]
