What Does It Take To Make K 12 Engineering Education Sustainable?

In the past decade there has been significant increase in the commitment of engineering schools, departments, and individuals to support engineering learning in the K-12 environment. As in any good engineering project, there is more than one solution. Looking across the spectrum, a wide variety of types of these K-12 outreach programs exist, ranging from single day student based experiences to professional development and engineering internship opportunities for teachers, with a varied assortment of programs in between. Each type of program brings a level of success, through the inclusion of engineering as a commonly used word and the introduction of learning about engineering as a concept for all types of students. But what kind of programs need to be in place to create a sustainable inclusion of engineering in the K-12 curriculum? And, how do we measure that sustainability in an area that is still in its infancy?