Pre-university Outreach: Encouraging Students to Consider Engineering Careers

Abstract

To address the need for increased enrolment in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Ryerson
University, Toronto, Canada, has expanded its Discover Engineering programme. Initially a summer day camp
targeting female high school students, Discover Engineering now includes an outreach programme that brings the
hands-on activities directly to the classroom, and presents to co-ed classrooms, not just to female students. The
authors’ studies have shown that outreach programmes are essential tools for increasing awareness about the
engineering profession at the pre-university level. This paper describes the outreach activities that have been
effective in educating students about the challenges and rewards of engineering careers, and discusses the impact
that Ryerson’s Discover Engineering programmes have had in motivating students to consider engineering
educational and career paths.