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

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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.