Designing Our World: Public Audiences Front-End Evaluation Report

The Designing Our World (DOW) project centers on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) equity and addresses the need for more youth, especially girls, to pursue engineering and fill vital workforce gaps. DOW will integrate tested informal science education (ISE) programs and exhibits with current knowledge of engaging diverse youth through activities embedded in a social context. Led by teams of diverse community stakeholders and in partnership with several local girl-serving organizations, DOW will leverage existing exhibits, girls’ groups, and social media to impact girls’ engineering-related interests and identities. This front-end evaluation study implemented at the beginning of the project was intended to help the project team learn more about the relationship of girls ages 9 – 14 to issues related to engineering and engineering careers. The DOW team sought information about girls’ existing knowledge of engineering, perceptions of the engineering field and engineers, and potential methods of presenting engineering-related activities in ways that girls found appealing. In addition, the team pursued data about ways in which girls shared their learning experiences, particularly whether girls utilized social media technologies. Appendix includes interview protocol