Empowering Diversity in STEM: A Collaborative Approach between Engineering Technology and High Schools

Abstract Increasing diversity among engineering technology programs is a target by most colleges and universities. In an effort to raise STEM awareness and generate interest among underrepresented groups and to enroll more students from high schools, a team from xxxxx campus has designed and conducted a series of hands-on activities at a local urban high school starting in fall 2021. The activities that have been put into practice encompass topics related to mechanical and electrical engineering technology. These include materials, manufacturing, hydraulics, electric circuits, and programming. Students nurture their STEM interest through engaging in hands-on practice in the areas of materials processing, data analysis, and model building. Simultaneously, students are exposed to a college learning environment while actively participating in these activities. This paper will discuss the strategies employed to create these activities using resources from existing college laboratory exercises and projects within the engineering technology programs. Fifty-six students from different grades participated in the program based on their interests. The emphasis on underrepresented minority groups aligns with xxxxxx University's commitment to diversity and aims to increase recruitment from schools with a higher proportion of such students.