1. Engineers: It’s Time to Change How We Promote the Profession
Changing the Conversation
Train-the-trainer Web Meeting
November 8, 2012
Resources in CTC Dropbox Folder include:
This PowerPoint
CTC Report – Executive Summary
Engineer Your Life Report (formerly known as Extraordinary Women Engineers)
CTC Tip Sheet
Intel’s Survey of Teens’ Perceptions of Engineering
Recording of 11/8 web meeting (to come)
Committee on Public Understanding of Engineering Messages Changing the Conversation: Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering. National Academy of Engineering. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.

2. Housekeeping
The webinar will use Voice Over Internet. You can listen (and speak) using only your computer.
If the sound quality is not good, a teleconference line is available:
Phone #: (702)
Code:
Audio Pin: Shown after joining the webinar
The recorded webinar and slides will be available in the “CTC” Dropbox folder.
Survey following the webinar—please respond!
This slide can be deleted or updated depending on how you will be delivering the training.

3. Today’s Training Goal – Get you comfortable offering the training
Review partnership between NAE & NEWF
Review the slides and other resources and how to customize
Questions throughout the session
Take our survey!

4. Asking Questions How to ask a question
We will take questions throughout the presentation. Participant microphones will be muted for webinar quality. To ask a question, you can:
Type your question in the “Question” space in the webinar control panel. OR
“Raise your hand” by clicking on the hand icon to
the left of your control panel. We will then “unmute” you so that you can ask your question verbally.
This slide can be deleted or updated depending on how you will be delivering the training.

5. The Presenters
Edit this slide to introduce who is presenting the information and what organizations they are from.

6. Agenda Session Goals Public Understanding of Engineering The Issues
Changes we can make
Tip: This training was developed to focus on the solution, not the problem.
While we need to set the stage by explaining the public (mis)understanding of the engineering and issues in the U.S. engineering workforce, this training focuses on positive steps we can all take to address the problem.

7. Session Goals We need to change how we present engineering
How we talk about engineering
How we showcase engineering (pictures & visuals)
Add messages and context to engineering outreach and education
We need you to join us in making this change.
Here is why….
This training covers 3 areas where we can address the problem:
Messages
Images
Outreach & Education

8. Public Understanding What most people think about engineering
Prestige of profession so-so and
static (periodic Harris polls).
Confusion between engineering and science.
Lack of awareness about what
engineers do.
This first slide sets the stage for a group of slides that reviews what people know or don’t know about engineering. There are 6 slides in this section. Feel free to customize this section to fit your audience:
- if talking to a group about outreach, you can focus on what kids know
if talking to a group of professionals, you can focus on the state of the state
Select a subset that fits your needs.

9. Public Understanding Words associated with engineering
- This wordle was created from answers to the question ‘what words do you associate with engineering’ from two sources:
Findings from Extraordinary Women Engineers Report. April 2005
Intel’s Survey of Teens’ Perceptions of Engineering. December 2011.
- While there are many traditional associations, a positive trend is how many people are associating innovative with engineering.

10. Perceived Characteristics of Engineers and Scientists
Public
Understanding
Perceived Characteristics of Engineers and Scientists
Engineers
Scientists
SAVE LIVES
2003
14%
82%
1998 6%
65%
SENSITIVE TO SOCIAL CONCERNS
28%
61%
46%
57%
CARE ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITIES
37%
51%
24%
Source: Harris Interactive.  2004.  American Perspectives on Engineers and Engineering.  Poll conducted for the American Association of Engineering Societies.  Final report, February 13,2004.
Harris Interactive.  2004. 

11. Public Understanding What do teens think?
41% of teens associate the word difficult with engineering.
Most don’t know what engineering is.
Only 28% have considered a career in engineering.
Source: Intel Survey of Teens’ Perceptions of Engineering. You can read the press release and survey results at:
From Intel’s Survey of Teens’ Perceptions of Engineering. December 2011.

12. Public Understanding High School Girls Think?
Engineering is for people who
LOVE both math and science
Don’t know what it is
Aren’t interested in the field nor
do they think it is “for them”
Source: Engineer Your Life. You can read the full report at under the for engineers section.
Project Background: In 2004, a coalition of more than 55 engineering organizations set out to discover why so few academically prepared high school girls were entering engineering programs and what could be done to increase their numbers. One of the coalition members, WGBH, conducted qualitative consumer research and produced the report, Extraordinary Women Engineers. Find it:
“Someone who excels in math and science.... Someone who is motivated, dedicated, and who doesn’t mind sitting in a cubicle all day.”
Findings from Extraordinary Women Engineers Report. April 2005.

13. Public Understanding Students who are interested:
25% worry grades in math and science not good enough.
25% say STEM careers involve too much work.
Source: 2012 ASQ Harris Interactive Poll
Read the press release at:
2012 ASQ Harris Interactive Poll

14. The Employment and Competitiveness Problem
The Issues
The Employment and Competitiveness Problem
Looming retirement bubble.
Need for ‘home grown’ workers.
Overall production of U.S. engineers compared with competitor nations/regions.
Attrition out of engineering programs.
Need more diversity—women and under-represented groups.
This next 5 slides address the employment and competiveness issues.
This slide is a compilation of the issues generally cited as why the US is facing a shortage of engineers in the coming years. This slide often produces a vigorous discussion about whether the US actually needs more engineers or not. We typically introduce this slide saying: However you fall on the issue of whether we need more engineers or not, most of us can agree that we need a more diverse engineering workforce.

15. Natural Sciences and Engineering Undergraduate Degrees
The Issues
Natural Sciences and Engineering Undergraduate Degrees
Source: Data for 2010:  National Science Foundation Science and Engineering Indicators 2012.  Available at: 
Source: NSF, 2010

16. Gender Disparities in Engineering
The Issues
Gender Disparities in Engineering
Source: Data for 2010:  National Science Foundation Science and Engineering Indicators 2012.  Appendix Table 2-12.  Freshmen intending S&E major, by field, sex, and race/ethnicity:   Available online at: 
Source: NSF, 2010

17. Under-Represented Groups
The Issues
Under-Represented Groups
Source: Data for 2009:  National Science Foundation Science and Engineering Indicators 2012.  Appendix Table 2-19.  Earned bachelor's degrees, by citizenship, field, and race/ethnicity:   Available online at:
Source: NSF, 2009

18. The Issues Why Public Understanding Matters
Sustaining the capacity for technological innovation.
Improving citizen technological literacy.
Attracting young people to careers in engineering (and science).
These are the generally agreed upon reasons why people need to understand what engineers do. Feel free to customize if you have a reason that is not represented here.
Note about formatting – the picture sometimes ends up with lines around it – we don’t know why.

19. Common Images and Standard Definition
How did we get here?
Common Images and Standard Definition
Engineers solve problems using math and science.
The next 4 slides address reasons why people don’t know what engineers do.
This slide shows the traditional definition we have been using. While it is true and concise, it does not provide the full picture or really explain what engineering is. It is our position that this limited definition is part of why people don’t know what engineers do.

20. How did we get here? What engineers tell young people
Engineering is stressful and challenging
They stress the importance of SUPERIOR
math and science abilities
Source: Extraordinary Women Engineers Report surveyed engineers and asked them what they told young people, not just girls.
Take the time to read quote aloud and ask:
Have heard someone talk about engineering this way?
Are you using the ‘engineers solve problems using math and science’ definition of engineering?
This often starts a good discussion about how people are talking about engineering. It seems like a lot of people have a story they want to share.
“It’s not easy—but if you’re the type who when faced with a problem some would call impossible is even more driven to move mountains to find a solution, then you might have it in you to be an engineer.”
Findings from Extraordinary Women Engineers Report. April 2005.

21. How did we get here? What kids want in a career
Enjoyable
“How happy I will be—what’s the point of doing anything you don’t like?”
To make a difference
“That I would make a difference in some way, you know, make my mark on the world.”
Income
“As shallow as it sounds, money is the one thing I have to consider when I’m choosing a job. I’m not going to do something that I know can’t help me pay bills.”
Flexibility
“My career can’t consume all of my time…I need free time to do a lot of other things…before I die.”
Source: Engineeryourlife.org
Tip: As you review slide, you can point out some of characteristics of our current teenage population.
Making a difference: This generation was raised on doing community service in school.
Flexibility: Many teens today come from two working parents or single parent so they know the importance of this.
Enjoyable: Kids expect to integrate their home and work life and want to like what they are doing – they’ve been told to ‘find their passion’ and do it.
Findings from Extraordinary Women Engineers Report. April 2005.

22. How did we get here? Disconnect
As you can see, these two messages do not line up!
This is another great place to stop the presentation and take questions or comments from the audience.

23. What can we do? Change what we say about engineering
Now the presentation changes its focus from the “problem” to the “solution.” Again, this training covers 3 areas where we can address the problem:
Messages
Images
Outreach & Education
On this slide we show what our ideal wordle would look like when we survey adults and students about engineering.

24. Use Effective Messages
NAE developed a small number of messages and taglines to encourage greater public understanding of engineering.
Tested the effectiveness of these messages in a variety of audiences.
CTC’s research methodology:
#1 Communications Audit — Review of previous research and communications materials
#2 Qualitative Research
In-depth interviews — educators, opinion leaders and engineers
Focus groups — youth ages and 16-19, parents of kids ages 9-19 (Raleigh and Phoenix)
Youth triads – 3 focus groups for kids ages 9-11
#3 Quantitative Research
Online surveys — 1,866 adults and 1,768 youth ages [margin of error 95% confidence]*
*Included oversampling of African-American and Hispanic groups
Source: See full report at:
This work was funded by NSF.

25. Effective Messages Top Four Messages
Engineers make a world of difference.
Engineers are creative problem-solvers.
Engineering is essential to our health, happiness and safety.
Engineers help shape the future.
These messages were the top vote getters of the messages tested by the NAE.
They were research-tested for appeal and effectiveness.

26. Effective Taglines Top Taglines Turning ideas into reality*
Because dreams need doing*
The power to do
Bolder by design
Designed to work wonders
Behind the next big thing
Life takes engineering
These taglines rose to the top and they resonated with boys AND girls. The ones with * were the top vote getters.
Some people might ask the difference between tagline and a message. Be prepared to define that for people.
A message is the main idea or theme you want to communicate to others.
A tagline is a one-liner that delivers your message in a memorable way (like a slogan).
* winners with teens Dreams = gender balanced

27. Not Effective Engineers connect science to the real world.
Engineering is the HARDEST
major and job.
Engineers use math
and science to
solve problems.
The first two bullets in this list were tested as part of the NAE testing process. The last bullet is the standard definition that engineers are using, it wasn’t tested, but we feel safe in saying that if it was effective we’d have a lot more engineers in the US.

28. Customize Messages Use New Definition
Engineers are changing the world all of the time. They dream up creative, practical solutions and work with other
smart, inspiring people
to invent, design,
and create things
that matter.
Using the messages, we developed a new definition of engineering (read aloud):
Tip: Some people push back and ask: What about using the word “smart?”- is that off-putting to girls? Not really. We aren’t saying superior, we aren’t saying: tell kids they need all A’s. But we do want to acknowledge that we need to recruit kids who can succeed in engineering.
Often at this point I talk about how doctors talk about their work – they talk about all of the lives they’ve saved and the people they’ve helped. That is what they lead with. After they have you hooked then they get into the messy business of becoming a doctor.

29. Customize Messages Change what you say
Use design or create instead of build.
Talk about the people you work with.
Tell people how your work or
industry makes a difference.
Use words like:
Collaborate  Imagination
Innovation  Contribution
Financially secure
This is the first action step for your participants – encourage them to think about the changes they can make. Tell them to:
Use the new definition.
Talk about colleagues! Often folks think engineers sit alone in a room.
Think about their job or their industry - Engineers often stop with a description of what they created (if they even go that far). Encourage them to ADD why it is needed and the societal issue or problem it solved.
Use a good anecdote here about how new messages engaged an audience.

30. Customize Messages Two small actions Change your bio
Use a tag line in your signature line
Here are two small changes folks can make immediately.

31. Customize Messages National Engineers Week 2012 Theme
“7 Billion People. 7 Billion Dreams Need Doing.”
Theme played on the world’s population reaching 7 billion and the tagline: Dreams Need Doing.
The next series of slides are examples of how orgs and corporations are changing their messages. Feel free to customize for your presentation.
NEWF’s theme for Engineers Week 2013 played off the news (7 billion world population) and worked the “dreams needs doing” message in.

32. Customize Messages Ten Reasons to Love Engineering
Love your work, AND live your life too!
Be creative.
Work with great people.
Design things that matter.
Never be bored.
Make a good salary.
Enjoy job flexibility.
Travel.
Make a difference.
Change the world.
Here’s how Engineer Your Life customized the messages into a top 10 list:
Check out the interactive version with more info here:

33. Customize
Messages
Here’s how corporations like DuPont are showing how they make a difference.
Important issue with corporations:
Are they using the word Engineer or Scientist?
NASA employs 70% engineers but says scientists.
Soon DuPont advertising will start using the word engineer rather than scientist.

34. Customize
Messages
Another corporate example. Feel free to customize for the audience you are reaching out to.

35. What can
we do?
Review
Change what we say about engineering by using and adapting these effective messages.
Action
Change your bio.
Add a tag to your signature line.
Review company or outreach materials—are they using effective messages?
We’ve set up the training to introduce actions, offer examples of those actions, and then review the actions people can take.

36. What can we do? Change the images we use to promote engineering.
Too often the images we use to depict engineering are devoid of people - we need to add people to images of engineering (doesn’t have to be women).
FYI…National Engineers Week Foundation was just awarded a grant to produce a photo library of copyright free images about engineering that embody the messages presented here.

37. Image Analysis Analyze this flyer 1. Is it using a new tagline?
2. Is it appealing
to target audience?
3. Is this an effective flyer?
Ask the audience to review the flyer on this slide and the one following.
The flyer is recruiting high school girls to an Electrical Engineering event at a university.

38. Image Analysis Analyze this flyer 1. Is it using a new tagline?
2. Is it appealing
to target audience?
3. Is this an effective flyer?
Look at this flyer it is for the same event at the same university for the next year.
Ask: What do you think about this flyer? About the last flyer? Which one was more effective?

39. Results
CU Boulder hosts an engineering outreach event each year for girls. In 2009 they changed just the flyer.
Event was held at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
The first flyer pulled in about 20 kids but after redesigning the next year with an image of girl rocking out on a guitar, they had close to 100 girls attend the same type of event. As you can see, both flyers use messaging about girls and their dreams, but clearly the first image was NOT resonating with teenage girls.
Think about your target audience: What appeals to you may not appeal to them! It is a good idea to test your materials with your target audience.
*You may get question about are you ‘attracting the right type of student to the event’ with these new images and messages. The goal of outreach should be to expose a wide audience to engineering whether they go into the field or not.
girls attended
girls attended

40. What can
we do?
Review
Change the images we use to promote engineering. Use people, not things.
Review what actions people can take.
Action
Examine materials.
Ask: Are there people in the pictures?

41. What can we do? Incorporate effective messaging to add context:
Outreach Activities
Classrooms
& After-schools
Undergraduate
Experience
You can ask - can messages or images make the difference?
We believe that they are part of a bigger picture we are painting. To get kids interested means adding context to ALL of the places where they can be exposed.

42. Add Context Evaluation of hands-on activities finds kids: Have fun
Apply math & science knowledge
Use the Design Process
What’s missing?
An understanding of what engineers do.
There are lots of hands-on engineering activities that are lots of fun and great learning experiences for the design process, but they lack the context of why tackle this problem or issue – what is it accomplishing. When we just do these kinds of activities, we are not answering the question for students and adults about what engineering is.
But if we add context to the activity (e.g., a social issue that is being addressed or a client that is being helped) we are making a link to engineering that shows how engineers make a difference and the type of work engineers do.
Remember the basic problem we are addressing is –people don’t know what engineers do or what engineering is.

43. Add Context Add messages to activities Kids will: Have fun
Apply math & science knowledge
Use the Design Process
Increase understanding of engineering
“Harmless Holder” – is an activity from Design squad, a PBS engineering reality show for middle school kids: pbs.org/designsquad
Challenge: Invent a holder for six cans that's animal-safe, sturdy, convenient, and easy to carry. By taking a few minutes at the beginning to introduce what impact soda holders are having on the environment and reviewing it again at the end with the kids solutions, you can illustrate how engineers in the beverage industry are facing this challenge and making the world a better place while still making our drinks easy to carry.
Source:

44. Add Context
Challenges middle school students to design, build, and present cities of the future.
46% Girls
57% of students said Future City helped them see themselves as engineers someday.
58% reported that Future City made them more interested in doing other engineering clubs or activities.
This is another example of an outreach program where effective messaging and engineering context is core to the program.
Future City is a middle school competition program where kids design, build and present cities of the future. They are asked to think about their future, what they want their world to look like, and how they can engineer that future.
The result of this context:
46% of participants are girls
80% of students reported that Future City helped them see that math and science are important to their future.
57% said Future City helped them see themselves as engineers someday.
Learn more at

45. Add Context Undergraduate Education
40% of college students enrolled in STEM leave their program after the first year.
What can we do?
Projects like the ENGAGE program are adding messages to introductory college courses.
Adding messaging and context is also happening at the college and university level.
*Questions you may get – are your advocating for changing the engineering curriculum? You will need to determine if you want to include a section on higher education in your training.
More about Engage:

46. Add Context Changed intro engineering courses by:
Highlighting how engineers make a difference.
Introducing project work early.
Emphasizing importance of good
communication skills.
Results:
100% retention rate for all freshman engineering students.
25% of them were female.
Feel free to keep or change with your own data.

47. What can we do? Review Add messages and context in:
Outreach Activities
Classrooms & After-schools
Undergraduate Experience
Action
Review programs to ensure activities/ curriculum put engineering into context.
This is a good place to stop and ask questions and get feedback from your group.

48. What can we do? Train Others
Change how our colleagues and volunteers present engineering.
This next section isn’t intended to train others, but rather to encourage others to spread the word and potentially come back to you to learn how to train others.

49. Train Others Customize this presentation
Review state of engineering perceptions.
Present new messages.
Show them effective images.
Encourage them to
add engineering
context to
outreach
activities and
programs.

50. What can we do? Learn more Join CTC Community!
Like:
Visit:
This next set of slides reviews the CTC resources and community that people interested in changing the conversation can join and utilize.
Before you conduct a training, become familiar with these resources.

51. What can
we do?
Familiarize yourself with the website.

52. Website www.engineeringmessages.org
Directory of 139 messaging examples
Downloadable/customizable materials including poster, stickers and door hangers
Community-building resources including online message board, blog and Facebook newsfeed
Also, the power point, webinar recordings, and tip sheet have been added here!

53. What can we do? Review Change what we say about engineering.
Change your bio.
Add tag to signature line.
Change the images we use to promote engineering.
Use people, not things.
Add engineering messages and context to:
Outreach Activities
Classrooms & After-schools
Undergraduate Experience
These next two slides review of all of the actions an individual attending your training can take.
We tried to order them from simple steps to more involved actions.

54. What can
we do?
Review
Change how our colleagues and volunteers present engineering.
Join CTC Community
Like:
Visit:

55. Q&A Thank you! Funding for this project is provided by:
If you have program funders, feel free to add them. Please do not remove UEF.
Thank you!