Engqonnect strategy public 2013 11 08

EngQonnect Queen’s University Engineering: Educational Outreach

Strategic Plan 2013-2018

Tactics 2013-2014

EngQonnect Strategic Plan 2013-2018 Page 2

This document is divided into three parts:

1. Long-term: intended to be relevant for at least a decade

a) Mission

b) Strategic objectives

c) Guiding values

2. Medium-term: goals for the next one to five years

a) Partners in collaboration

b) Financial goals

c) Activities undertaken

d) Market

e) Communication

3. Short-term: tactics to be employed in the 2013-14 academic year

a) Outreach activities

b) Communication activities

EngQonnect Long Term

Mission Queen’s Engineering Outreach will Provide opportunities for Queen’s Engineering students to raise the

profile of Engineering as a career choice among youth K-12, teachers and the general public, and

increase the capacity of youth to make that career choice.

Strategic Objectives Queen’s Outreach has the following three strategic objectives. All goals and activities created shall meet

one or more of these objectives.

1. Attract students into the Engineering profession

2. Raise public awareness about engineering (including teachers. counselors, etc…)

3. Provide learning/employment opportunities for Queen’s Engineering students

Guiding Values Queen’s University and FEAS have a strong reputation for excellence. FEAS outreach shall protect and

enhance this reputation by maintaining high quality both in all of its work, and also all outreach work

done in the name of Queen’s FEAS.


Quality Outreach

Quality Outreach is characterized by work which meets or exceeds all relevant success targets. The

targets, in turn, are based on metrics which are standard to educational outreach. Examples of such

metrics include, but are not limited to:

Activities are linked to curriculum and/or current research regarding STEM pedagogy

Activities are highly engaging for multiple students’ learning needs and/or cultural context

A comprehensive safety plan is created and adhered to for all activities

All commitments are honoured in full, e.g. volunteers arrive on time, activities occupy the

agreed-upon timeframe, etc.

Outreach success

Success shall be measured according to the following metrics, as well as any other necessary situation-

specific metrics. Metrics shall be based on outcomes rather than inputs. Evidence shall be collected

according to current best practices in the field of Education

Metric Measurement method

Objective: Attract students into the Engineering profession Note: This will mostly need to be inferred based on positive responses to outreach offerings and increased knowledge of what Engineering is. It is critical to reach children younger than 12 to help them incorporate future STEM studies into their self-identity; however, a causal link over such a long span of time will be difficult to establish.

Positive feedback from outreach recipients Exit survey at the end of outreach activity

Documented evidence that outreach recipients have achieved the learning objective(s) related to STEM

Exit survey at the end of outreach activity

Documented evidence that outreach recipients have developed awareness of the profession of Engineering

Exit survey at the end of outreach activity, e.g. Draw an Engineer Test (Cunningham, 2005)

Documented evidence that EngQonnect activities contributed to enrollment in Queen’s Engineering

intake survey

Positive feedback from teachers and/or parents Exit survey at the end of outreach activity

Phone calls afterward of 15% of adults, selected randomly

Requests for return visits Count

Number of youth reached Count

Feedback 6 weeks later which shows that students have retained what they learned.

Survey conducted of 15% of participants, randomly selected

Objective: Raise Public Awareness of Engineering

Increased participation year on year Count of students

Increased knowledge of what Engineering is Quick survey, e.g. “measure this” poster

Documented evidence that outreach recipients have developed awareness of the profession of Engineering

Exit survey at the end of outreach activity, e.g. Draw an Engineer Test (Cunningham, 2005)

Positive feedback from teachers and/or parents Exit survey at the end of outreach activity

Phone calls afterward of 15% of adults, selected randomly

Objective: Provide learning/employment opportunities for Queen’s Engineering students

Number of FEAS students involved Count


Metric Measurement method

Relevance of skill development to future job prospects Consult with recruiters

Positive feedback from FEAS students Survey which collects anonymous feedback from participants, asking for specific examples of skills gained or enhanced.

EngQonnect Medium Term

Goals The mission will be achieved through a mixture of high-quality activities and resources. These will be

developed iteratively and monitored to measure adherence to success metrics. The process of achieving

the mission will also create opportunities for Queen’s Engineering students to gain management and

public speaking experience.

1. Partners in Collaboration Deadline: ongoing FEAS Outreach takes place within a landscape of outreach initiatives being undertaken by numerous

providers, including Engineering student organizations, other faculties at Queen’s, other education

providers and non-profit organizations. Outreach effectiveness will be maximized when providers work

in concert, to leverage each other’s strengths and avoid duplication of effort. Building and maintaining

partnerships is therefore central to the EngQonnect strategy.

These partnerships shall include, but are not limited to the organizations listed below. Some

characteristics of each partnership are also included.

Partner Partnership characteristics

Dean of Engineering Take direction regarding priorities and projects

Provide advice regarding appropriate disbursement of Dean’s Discretionary Fund monies

Engineering Undergraduate Society at Queen’s

Facilitate relationships with local teachers

Advisory role regarding educational context and strategic management

Communicate with stakeholders (students and teachers) to validate consistency with the Outreach Guiding Values

Provide support as necessary, to help the work conform to these values.

Other faculties at Queen’s, particularly

Arts & Science,

Education (including QCOC) &

Business.

Provide Engineering expertise to bolster existing STEM outreach initiatives

Work together to provide a consistently high-quality experience associated with Queen’s University

Possibly jointly apply for funding, where appropriate and available


Partner Partnership characteristics

Queen’s Event Services Support the development of, and adhere to central outreach delivery processes

Public school boards and private schools

Provide guest speakers and out-of-classroom activities, at a competitive rate, to enhance curricular learning in STEM

Develop resources to help teachers create richer and more effective STEM learning opportunities for students

Work with guidance counselors to improve knowledge of Engineering education and career options

Work with curriculum coaches to develop rich problem-solving tasks for use by visiting Engineers

Other tertiary education institutions

RMC

St Lawrence College

Other universities outside Kingston

Work together to raise the profile of the Engineering profession with the general public

Possibly jointly apply for funding, where appropriate and available

STEM non-profits, e.g. FIRST Robotics, CAGIS, etc

Provide engineering expertise and volunteers to enhance the organization’s work with children and youth

Advisory Committee

Strike an advisory committee composed of representatives from Engineering faculty and staff, along

with other partners in collaboration. The advisory committee shall be governed by its own terms of

reference.

2. Financial Self-sufficiency deadline: 2018 The Outreach program aims to be financially self-sufficient by 2018. The Outreach Coordinator shall

work with Advancement to identify and pursue opportunities to raise funds through philanthropic

grants and alumni donations. The Outreach Coordinator shall also research other funding sources, such

as government programs. Further funds shall come from revenue-generating activities run by FEAS.

Following are anticipated expenses in decreasing order of funding priority

1. Operating expenses such as materials, facility rentals and honoraria or gifts for guest speakers and

competitors

2. Outreach Coordinator salary

3. Subsidize participation in outreach activities by populations currently under-represented in

Engineering

4. Provide wages or honouraria to participating Engineering students

3. Activities The table in the Annex outlines the STEM outreach activities which are being done by or in the name of,

Queen’s Engineering.


In future years, additional activities may be added, depending on delivery capacity and interest. These

activities will be determined by the Outreach Coordinator in consultation with the Advisory Committee.

The following considerations shall guide the decision regarding which specific activities to pursue:

1. Revenue-generating for FEAS

2. Revenue draining from FEAS

3. Closely aligned with one or more of the three strategic objectives.

4. Past history of, or measurable and time-bound plan to improve alignment with Mission,

Strategic Objectives and Guiding Values

4. Market

Geographic:

2013-14 Academic year: Start with Kingston city. Choose schools based on need

Over time, expand this market to include outlying rural areas. Further expansion could be to Ottawa

and/or northern Ontario. Northern outreach could be done in partnership with AAE.

There is also the possibility to market further afield, in communities identified by Admissions as being

potentially good sources of applicants to Queen’s. These communities may be in Canada or overseas.

Demographic:

Students with high academic ability in science and math: Grade 11-12, when they are deciding

on university programs

Students belonging to under-represented populations (girls, people of colour, people living in

poverty): Grades 4-10, when they are developing self-identity

When youth is a targeted demographic, the market shall also include the adults in their lives, i.e.

teachers and parents

General public

5. Communication goals Deadline: ongoing See “Tactics” for activities and deadlines for the 2013-14 academic year. Tactics in future years shall

ensure that communication includes the widest range of stakeholders practicable. See “Stakeholder

Analysis” in the Appendix.


EngQonnect Short Term

Tactics: Academic Year 2013-2014

1. Support, solidify and/or resurrect activities already occurring, and

Start some new outreach activities In the 2013-2014 academic year, launch the following activities:

Activity 2013-14 goal

Working with curriculum coaches to develop strategic, curriculum-linked rich problem-solving tasks to be led by Engineering students on campus or during school visits

2 activities per division in Grade 4-6, 7-8 and 9-10

Hosting school groups on campus 8 groups for a minimum quarter day each

Hosting groups of youth on campus, not related to a school Go ENG Girl 35 participants

Emphasis on Engineering 12 participants

Engineering students visit classrooms Engineer for a Year 5 EFaYs making 7 visits each

Ad hoc visits 10 visits

Hold an Engineering design competition with the following characteristics:

Design and construction take place before the competition

Construction materials are inexpensive

Entry fee is sufficient for cost recovery once the competition grows to 150 participants

o Make subsidies available for needy participants

30 participants Media coverage in print, radio and online – at least one appearance in each medium

Support Aboriginal Access to Engineering outreach initiatives As established by AAE

These activities will be debriefed with all participants to assess their effectiveness. They may be

modified as necessary, to improve alignment with the Mission, Strategic Objectives and Guiding Values.

In addition to the opportunities tabulated above, Engineering students could also help in the following

ways:

create a database to organize outreach activities, opportunities, contacts and resources

update the Outreach website

collect and analyze program monitoring data


2. Communication Activities (2013-14) At this point, K-12 teachers and Engineering students are the most important stakeholders to

communicate with. Teachers will give EngQonnect the best access to children and youth, and

Engineering students are required to implement the activities in this plan.

Communication with teachers

1. Meet with School Board curriculum coaches to develop ideas and make connections with

classroom teachers. School boards to focus on are LDSB and ALCDSB.

a. Seek opportunities to communicate with principals

2. Communicate with School Board staff to gain permission to access the students, and spread the

word about EngQonnect DONE

3. Send a package to all teachers Grades 4-12 including one or two copies of the magazine, some

rulers, and a letter explaining EngQonnect programs. Include brochure in packages to high

school teachers. DONE

4. Create an online survey to solicit teachers’ input regarding what EngQonnect could do to add

value to classroom programming. Promote this survey in the package. NOT DONE

a. Note that it will be necessary to communicate with GREB regarding survey ethics

5. Create and distribute a poster which can be displayed in the school office, classrooms and/or

bulletin boards. DONE

Communication with Engineering Students

1. Create a poster to promote EngQonnect opportunities. Post in student services, department

offices, club offices and bulletin boards. COMPLETED

2. Attend department meetings to promote EngQonnect and ask for help to spread the word.

a. Department office staff, in particular, could be a valuable asset.

3. Run a booth during club days in September. NOT DONE

4. Send a broadcast email once per semester, with information about upcoming opportunities and

how to volunteer SEPTEMBER 2013: POSTED TO FACEBOOK GROUP FOR EACH YEAR

General Communication

1. Update website

2. Maintain conversation with Queen’s Event Services regarding centralized outreach services

Engineering Competition Promotion

For 2014, the Engineering competition will best be limited to a small number of participants. The goal is

to involve family and friends of faculty, staff and students. Promotion shall be internal to the faculty,

though posters, presence at department meetings and broadcast emails.

Appendix 1. Activities associated with Queen’s FEAS

2. Stakeholder analysis

3. Glossary of acronyms

In-kind (manpower and/or room ) ≤ 2 days 2 ≤ (time) ≤ 7 days > 7 days Monetary $ ≤ $200 $$ 200 ≤ (amount) ≤ $1000

1. Outreach Offerings Associated with Queen’s Engineering

Type of Offering Audience Description When Provider/ Partner

Roles

Classroom visits

Science Gr. 4-8 Engineering students visit classrooms to lead hands-on activities.

May-June Science Quest

Support and quality monitoring; organize and deliver programming

K-12 Students from different faculties visit classrooms to lead hands-on activities.

Sept-Apr Let’s Talk Science

Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming

5-12 Engineering students support FLASF volunteer during classroom activities to promote science

Sept-Apr FLASF Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming

Math 4-10 Engineering students visit classrooms to lead hands-on, curriculum-linked activities. Sept-Apr FEAS

Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming; develop programming; advice

International Development

K-12 Engineering students visit classrooms to lead hands-on, curriculum-linked activities.

Sept-Apr EWB Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming

9-12 Students from different faculties visit classrooms to lead hands-on activities.

Sept-Apr QPID Support and quality monitoring;

Long-term 4-12

Engineer for a Year program: Engineering student(s) pair with a teacher for a full academic year to provide technical support and a role model for children.

Sept-Apr FEAS – EFaY

Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming; develop programming; partners; advice; advice

Engineering at Queen’s

11-12 Talk to students about Engineering as a career and Queen’s FEAS

Sept-Nov FEAS

Science Club 4-6 Girls

Engineering students lead lunchtime science activities at schools

Sept-April WISE Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming

Robotics Club K-12

Engineering students mentor teams FEAS provides financial support

Jan-Mar FIRST/FLL Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming; advice

Summer Camp

Science 4-8 Week-long science camps. Objective= fun

July-Aug Science Quest

Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming

Science/ Engineering

7-12 Hands-on science and engineering activities in the course of a summer camp for Sea Cadets

July-Aug RMC/ FEAS Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming

Engineering 6-12 1-3 day courses on different topics

May ESU Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming



Roles

Foreign students

2-6 week program combining ESL instruction, tourism and Engineering activities

Jul-Aug FEAS, ESU, LDSB

Not yet established

11-12 Various activities July Shad Valley deliver programming

Engineering Promotion

7-10 girls Go ENG Girl, a day to let girls and their parents learn about Engineering

October ONWiE Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming

11-12 girls Future Women in Engineering Conference, a day to let girls know about Engineering

Nov WISE Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming

Grade 9 Bring Your Kids To Work Day: hands-on Engineering-related activities, campus/ILC tours, attend lectures

Nov Other Queen’s faculties

Develop programming and monitor quality; deliver programming

General public

Booth at Science Rendezvous, a day-long festival of Science and STEM. Highest appeal is families with children aged 5-12.

May QCOC Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming; Organize and publicize event

Extracurricular

Engineering 11-12 Emphasis on Engineering, a series of enrichment activities focused in different engineering departments

Jan-Feb FEAS Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming; develop programming; advice; advice

Science 4-8 After school, weekend, PA Day and/or March break workshops – undefined at the moment

Sept-Apr Science Quest

Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming

4-6 Girls EngSci Day: A day of science activities Nov and

Feb WISE

Support and quality monitoring; develop and deliver programming

Hosting groups on campus

Engineering 7-12 Host classes of students and their teachers for hands-on problem-solving tasks

Sept-Apr FEAS Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming; bring schoolchildren; advice

Makerspace 9-12 Not well-defined yet

TBD SparQ Lab Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming

Teacher development

Engineering profession

Teachers & Guidance counselors

Workshop to educate teachers on what the Engineering profession is and how it is different from Science or trades

?? FEAS & Faculty of Ed

develop and deliver programming; advice; advice



Roles

Open-ended problems

Teachers

Hands-on workshops to train in problem-solving tasks. Teachers will leave with materials to lead the activities in their own classrooms.

PD Days FEAS

Support and quality monitoring; deliver programming; develop programming; develop and deliver programming

Mentoring

Engineering 11-12 girls Engineering students mentor High School students

Sept-Apr WISE Support and quality monitoring; provide mentors

FEAS women

Working Engineers mentor Queen’s Engineering students

?? WISE Support and quality monitoring; mentees

Science Fair 5-12 Engineering students mentor children and youth preparing for science fair

Jan-Feb FLASF Support and quality monitoring; mentors

2. Stakeholder Analysis Who What the stakeholder can contribute Message Medium

Queen’s Engineering Faculty members

Technical supervision and oversight o Capstone projects o Workshops and activities for children

and youth o Speak to parents, e.g. Go ENG Girl

Outreach will raise the profile of the university and the profession, which can result in a higher caliber of applicant

This could help undersubscribed departments to get the word out to people who are contemplating Engineering school

When a grant includes an outreach component, I can take care of it, and ensure that the monies are spent strategically. I can provide a report to send to the funding institution

Department head meetings

Dep’t mgrs.

Dep’t meetings

Queen’s Engineering students

Personnel to do the actual outreach

What questions they had before they decided to study Engineering, and attend Queen’s – what persuaded them

Opportunities to get job-related skills such as leadership, project management and communications

Reference

Possibly paid

Twitter

Eng newsletter

EngSoc Linked In

Dep't mgrs.

Other Queen’s faculty and students

Infrastructure for outreach

Common messaging re. Queen’s University Complimentary programs, to create a fuller

offering for teachers and students

Partnerships to meet each others’ outreach needs o Education, Science

Queen’s Enews Other faculty outreach coordinators

Teachers, principals, guidance counselors

Strategic topics and/or units which could most benefit from our input

What questions students have about career options

What barriers students are facing – academic, social, attitudinal – to excellence in STEM

Vocabulary and approaches to problem-solving which are taught in high school – to ensure students are able to access prior knowledge

Feedback on what has been learned o By the students o By themselves

Enhance classroom experience

Curriculum-linked TLMs

Careers information re Engineering

Curriculum coaches

School board

OAME, STAO Monthly newsletter

Facebook page

Outreach website – resources and links

Partnership with teachers’ unions (e.g. ETFO Presenters on the road)

TLMs

Actual outreach activities

Magazine package

Educators at other tertiary education institutions, e.g. RMC, SLC

Complimentary programs, to create a fuller offering for teachers and students

Raising the profile of STEM and Engineering can be beneficial to all institutions offering such programs

Face-to-face meetings

STEM nonprofits, e.g. CAGIS, FIRST Robotics

Delivery infrastructure for STEM outreach We can help build capacity in delivering the

Engineering part of STEM Face-to-face meetings

Who What the stakeholder can contribute Message Medium

Parents At-home support for enthusiasm for STEM Learn STEM alongside their kids

Potential enrichment activities Encourage children to enter a lucrative, well-

respected profession

Through teachers

Facebook

Outreach website – resources and links Outside media (Kingston Whig, Snap

Kingston, CBC)

Outreach activities for parents and children together

Youth Questions

Feedback on what they enjoyed and what they learned

Have fun Learn new stuff

Learn about a great career

Meet like-minded people

Something to pass the time Engineering is a great education to get

Queen’s is a great university

Twitter Outreach website – resources and links

“Try this at home” hands-on, inexpensive activities

Actual outreach activities o Hands-on math/science related o Career talks

Donors Operating money

Advice

To secure funding:

STEM is increasingly important at a time when enrollment is declining

Queen’s, being small and supportive, is an ideal school to bring in and cultivate members of under-represented populations, such as women, aboriginals and people who grew up in poverty. This diversity is important to maintaining an innovation culture in the country.

To maintain the funding relationship

Reports about the effect the donation is having

Personal communication with Advancement staff

The Complete Engineer magazine

Cold call by phone and/or email

3. Glossary of Acronyms AAE Aboriginal Access to Engineering (run by Queen’s FEAS)

ALCDSB Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board

CAGIS Canadian Association for Girls in Science

ESU Enrichment Studies Unit

ETFO Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario

EWB Engineers Without Borders

FEAS (Queen’s) Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

FLASF Frontenac Lennox & Addington Science Fair

FLL FIRST Lego League (Lego robotics)

LDSB Limestone District School Board

ONWiE Ontario Network for Women in Engineering

QCOC Queen’s Community Outreach Centre (operated by the Faculty of Education)

QPID Queen’s Project for International Development

RMC Royal Military College (Kingston)

SLC St. Lawrence College (Kingston)

STEM Science, technology, engineering and mathematics

TLM Teaching and learning material

WISE Women in Science and Engineering

Engqonnect strategy public 2013 11 08

Documents

outreach recipients

outreach work

feas outreach

queens engineering students

end of outreach activity

profile of engineering

queens feas

engqonnect strategic