Designing Our Tomorrow: Mobilizing the Next Generation of Engineers

这个创新发展项目是由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划，旨在推进新的方法，并以证据为基础的理解，在非正式环境中的STEM学习的设计和开发资助。这包括提供多种途径，以扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验，推进非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对更深入学习的理解。设计我们的明天项目将开发一个框架，用于创建基于比特的工程设计挑战，并扩展现有的促进模型，用于工程展览。该项目旨在扩大对工程的参与，并在非正规科学教育（伊势）领域内建设能力，同时提高公众对可持续工程设计实践重要性的认识。该项目的重点是9-14岁的女孩及其家庭，并与文化上敏感的战略共同制定，以确保拉丁美洲社区家庭的包容和影响。该项目将进行研究，导致在展览背景下的工程专业的理论为基础的措施和展览促进模型的主题领域的工程。 基于研究，该项目将开发一个工程设计挑战框架，用于在展览背景下开发设计挑战。作为研究背景，该项目将开发一个双语英语/西班牙语2,000平方英尺的巡回展览，旨在让青年和家庭参与工程设计挑战，将他们的工程专业从初学者提升到更知情，由专业发展模块和主办现场培训研讨会支持，介绍在巡回展览中促进家庭工程经验的策略。该项目是俄勒冈州科学与工业博物馆与仿生研究所、Adelante Mujeres和舰队科学中心的合作。设计我们的明天建立在一个理论为基础的工程教学框架和以前的几个NSF资助的非正式教育项目，通过仿生学为例的可持续设计的透镜，使家庭参与引人注目的设计挑战。 通过文化响应的共同发展和研究战略，包括拉丁美洲社区的成员，并提供突出工程的利他，创造性，个人相关和协作方面的挑战，设计我们的明天展览展示了工程作为一个有吸引力的职业选择为妇女和帮助家庭支持彼此的工程专业。为了更好地理解和促进伊势环境中的工程学习，该项目将进行两项研究，以告知和迭代开发有效的策略。在第一项研究中，测量开发将建立在先前的研究和实践的基础上，设计可信和可靠的工程能力，意识和合作的措施，以及用于展览开发和促进工程展览的研究的协议，以及未来的研究。第二项研究将探讨促进对体验成果的影响。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 Innovations in Development project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.The Designing Our Tomorrow project will develop a framework for creating exhibit-based engineering design challenges and expand an existing model of facilitation for use in engineering exhibits. The project seeks to broaden participation in engineering and build capacity within the informal science education (ISE) field while raising public awareness of the importance of sustainable engineering design practices. The project focuses on girls aged 9-14 and their families and is co-developed with culturally responsive strategies to ensure the inclusion and influence of families from Latino communities. The project will conduct research resulting in theory-based measures of engineering proficiencies within an exhibit context and an exhibit facilitation model for the topic area of engineering. Based on the research, the project will develop an engineering design challenge framework for developing design challenges within an exhibit context. As the context for research, the project will develop a bilingual English/Spanish 2,000-square foot traveling exhibition designed to engage youth and families in engineering design challenges that advance their engineering proficiencies from beginner to more informed, supported by professional development modules and a host-site training workshop introducing strategies for facilitating family engineering experiences within a traveling exhibition. The project is a collaboration of Oregon Museum of Science and Industry with the Biomimicry Institute, Adelante Mujeres, and the Fleet Science Center. Designing Our Tomorrow builds on a theory-based engineering teaching framework and several previous NSF-funded informal education projects to engage families in compelling design challenges presented through the lens of sustainable design exemplified by biomimicry. Through culturally-responsive co-development and research strategies to include members of Latino communities and provide challenges that highlight the altruistic, creative, personally relevant, and collaborative aspects of engineering, the Designing Our Tomorrow exhibition showcases engineering as an appealing career option for women and helps families support each other's engineering proficiencies. To better understand and promote engineering learning in an ISE setting, the project will conduct two research studies to inform and iteratively develop effective strategies. In the first study, measurement development will build on prior research and practice to design credible and reliable measures of engineering proficiency, awareness, and collaboration, as well as protocols for use in exhibit development and the study of facilitation at engineering exhibits, and future research. The second study will explore the effects of facilitation on the experience outcomes.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.