Engineering leadership helping high school students make career choices

Abstract

Earlier this year, the Wall Street journal reported that enrollments in engineering schools had decreased by 17% since the early 1980s. Since 1980, enrollments in Arizona State University engineering, technology and construction programs have increased more than 24%. For 15 years, we have hosted an engineering and technology leadership conference for high school students and teachers to introduce them to the university, our academic programs, and engineering careers. The program offers many opportunities to reach out to prospective students, to maintain a referral network with feeder schools, to provide mentoring opportunities for current and prospective students, and to enhance the public's perception of engineers.