2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper features the project facilitation strategies and evaluation results from a 3-week design program for high school students. The program features student-led project ideation and teaming to develop “Tech for Good”. Students were tasked with designing, building, and testing a solution to a problem that they feel is important to society and that has the potential to improve the lives of others. Students reviewed UN Sustainable Development Goals, explored global grand challenges, and iterated on generative AI prompts to support their brainstorming. In this paper, we will share our program curriculum with a step-by-step guide for student-led project ideation and team selection.
The mixed methods evaluative approach (n=12) investigated the students’ perceived gains in technical skills, careers awareness, engineering identities, and attitudes towards engineering. Pre/post-measures quantitative findings highlight increases in hands-on skills, understanding of the design process, and awareness of science/engineering careers. Post-program interviews illuminate student understanding of teamwork, technical communications, and project management. Many students were surprised by the importance of collaborative teams both in their own projects and in the professional examples they learned about from visiting scientists and engineers. Team projects included designs for prosthetics, bike safety, adaptive devices, medical care, and crop irrigation. Links to student team portfolios will be made available. Most students believed they gained the ability to improve the world through their designs, emphasizing that they can accomplish much more when working on a team. Additional interview findings focus on students’ experience with career sessions where they engaged with science/engineering professionals including local entrepreneurs. Students expressed confidence in understanding the wide array of engineering-related careers and steps needed to pursue these fields. The summer program reinforced student interest in STEM majors and careers with particular enthusiasm for “design for good.”