2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Over the past decades, the urgent need to boost the pipeline of STEM professionals, particularly in engineering and computer science, has become increasingly critical. This paper addresses the challenge of preparing underrepresented minorities (URM) and female students in computer science, particularly in cybersecurity, through the integration of diverse academic backgrounds, including both STEM and non-STEM majors. We detail the implementation of six workshops throughout the academic year that successfully enhanced participants’ knowledge in computer science, cybersecurity, and engineering.
The curriculum was designed to facilitate learning primarily through hands-on activities, utilizing a low-cost, single-board computer such as the Raspberry Pi and Micro-bit, interfacing with various IoT sensors, and network simulation software such as Packet Tracer. In addition to outlining the curriculum and practical activities conducted during the 2023-2024 academic year, this paper highlights the challenges encountered during the initial workshop sessions due to the diversity of technical backgrounds and knowledge. It also emphasizes the motivation and determination exhibited by students, which contributed to successfully completing the workshop series. By sharing these insights, we aim to provide valuable information to educators and institutions looking to foster greater inclusion and engagement in the STEM fields.