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Abstract According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of job openings in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) occupations is projected to grow by almost 11% by 2031. To meet this projected demand, industry and academia need to implement outreach initiatives to encourage student recruitment into STEM degree fields. While most outreach initiatives typically focus on high school students, research shows that students' career decisions are influenced at a much earlier age. Therefore, it is necessary for industry and academia to target an even younger demographic all the way to kindergarten and first grade. This presentation highlights different outreach initiatives developed by the authors in academia and industry to teach K-12 students about STEM. The primary goal of these programs is to make younger students aware and excited about career opportunities in STEM fields. These outreach initiatives utilize innovative teaching strategies and curricula to teach K-12 students about STEM, what skills are necessary to work in STEM careers, and what types of careers opportunities are available. During the presentation, a summary of each program will be shared as well as program successes, challenges, and lessons learned. As a result of attending this session, participants will: • understand the value of outreach programs to K-12 students and other community organizations • learn about innovative presentation strategies and activities that could be incorporated into similar programs at other institutions and companies • learn how to incorporate current higher education students and industry employees into outreach initiatives
Warrner et al. (Sun,) studied this question.