Who Wants To Be An Engineer?

One of the roles of engineering faculty is to make engineering accessible and exciting to young people. At the University of Kentucky Extended Campus Program at Paducah, we have developed a simple way to reach young people from elementary through high school (and their parents). A simple trivia game modeled after a popular television show has been used for several years to rave reviews from participants. What some of the participants see as a mere game is actually a means of demonstrating the relevance of their science and math education to future careers. The prizes they earn by correctly answering questions give them a taste of the material rewards that may be earned though an engineering career. Above all, this activity ensures that participants have a good time as they are exposed to engineering concepts a direct and entertaining way. The student and faculty involvement in the development of the software used in this outreach, the forums in which it has been used, and the responses of participants are described. Applications of the software in chemical engineering courses are considered. Different modes of question writing are also discussed, including application of the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.