Let Engineers Teach Engineering in K-12

该项目旨在通过创建一个工程教学认证（ETC）途径来满足K-12工程教育的国家需求，该途径在四年制工程本科课程期间提供，以帮助毕业生为华盛顿州西北部的当地中学和高中做好准备。在K-12设置的学生应该有机会看到自己作为工程师从小。然而，目前K-12学校工程教学的数量和质量因能力和资源而异。通过与K-12合作伙伴合作设计一个新的工程教学认证计划，该项目旨在培养一个高素质的教育工作者社区，在这些学校教授工程。该项目旨在帮助确保所有初中和高中学生有机会考虑将工程作为未来的职业。更加多样化的工程人员队伍促进了创造性的解决方案，使工程师能够帮助解决他们自己社区关心的问题。西华盛顿大学的这个项目将与学校、教育机构和工业界建立当地的伙伴关系。该项目将解决三个目标：（1）确定ETC模式的需求和能力，（2）制定一项计划，利用需求和能力评估结果，结合现有的工程认证资源，在西华盛顿大学建立一个独特的ETC计划，（3）与项目合作伙伴合作，构建一个可持续的ETC模式。该项目的评估将包括收集数据，以确定需求评估和协作过程的完整性，以及大学，参与学校和社区合作伙伴真正参与形成ETC计划基础的过程的程度。该项目有可能通过产生在全国范围内增加机会的愿景和模型来解决工程教育中的差距。这一能力建设项目得到了罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金方案（诺伊斯）的支持。诺伊斯计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人士成为有效的K-12 STEM教师和经验丰富的模范K-12教师，成为高需求学区的STEM硕士教师。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national need for K-12 engineering education by creating an engineering teaching certification (ETC) pathway, offered during four-year engineering undergraduate programs to prepare graduates to teach in local middle and high schools in northwest Washington state. Students in K-12 settings should have the opportunity to see themselves as engineers from an early age. Yet, the current quantity and quality of engineering instruction in K-12 schools varies considerably based on capacity and resources. By designing a novel engineering teaching certification program in collaboration with K-12 partners, this project seeks to cultivate a community of high-quality educators to teach engineering in these schools. This project is intended to help ensure all middle and high school students have the opportunity to consider engineering as a future career. A more diverse engineering workforce promotes creative solutions and enables engineers to help solve problems of concern for their own communities. This project at Western Washington University will develop local partnerships with schools, educational agencies, and industry. The project will address three goals: (1) determining needs and capacity for the ETC model, (2) creating a plan to utilize the needs and capacity assessment findings in conjunction with the existing engineering certification resources toward building a unique ETC program at Western Washington University, and (3) constructing a sustainable ETC model with the collaboration of the project partners. The project's evaluation will include collecting data to determine the integrity of the needs assessment and collaborative processes and the extent to which the university, participating schools, and community partners are authentically involved in the processes that form the basis for the ETC program. This project has the potential to address a gap in engineering education by generating a vision and model for increased opportunities across the Nation. This capacity-building project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.