TUES-Type 2: First-year Virtual Internships to Increase Persistence of Underrepresented Groups in Engineering: RescuShell and its Parent Company RescuTek

这个项目是一个成功的初步研究的扩展，该研究为生物工程一年级本科生实施并分发了一个虚拟实习机会。该项目使用虚拟实习来提供模拟工作体验，让学生开始了解工程师在工业中的角色。这一扩展将产生一个机械工程的虚拟实习机会，并最终产生一套核心工程学科的虚拟实习机会。虚拟实习是基于一家母公司的虚构产品线。受影响的学生将体验模拟的工作环境。该项目的具体成果包括增加了坚持工程学的动力，以及增加了对工程师工作的了解。通过广泛的传播，该计划正在对多个地点的大量学生产生影响。项目成果将大大增加非传统学生和在农村或非工业地区学习的学生获得实习经验的机会。

This project is an expansion of a successful preliminary study that implemented and distributed a virtual internship for first-year bio-engineering undergraduates. The project is using a virtual internship to provide simulated work experiences that allow students to begin understanding the role of engineers in industry. The expansion will produce a virtual internship for mechanical engineering and ultimately will produce a suite of virtual internships for the core engineering disciplines. The virtual internships are based on fictional product lines of a parent company. The impacted students will experience a simulated working environment. Specific outcomes of the project include an increased motivation to persist in engineering and an increased understanding of what engineers do. Through wide dissemination the program is having an impact on a large number of students at multiple sites. Project results will significantly increase the accessibility of internship experiences for non-traditional students and students studying in rural or non-industrial areas.