Lehigh has been doing outreach for years. Programs like CHOICES and the Summer Engineering Institute have helped countless middle school and high school students discover the many fields of engineering, and how they can bring their own unique perspectives into solving real-world problems. Recently, the university has begun to expand their reach.
“Technically, we are preschool through 12th grade in serving our local community,” says Chayah Wilbers.
Chayah is the program manager for the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, and the head of the university’s newest outreach initiative, the STEM Squad. Together with Lehigh faculty, staff, and students, she’s leading novel efforts to bring the wonder, joy, and delight of engineering to kids of all ages.
A big part of that push is connecting Lehigh students to area teachers who must now meet new state requirements in STEM education. The students are using their expertise in areas like computer science to build free lesson plans for the educators.
“Our Lehigh students are engaging with local teachers to hear their needs, and then working with me to create these lessons,” she says.
In this episode, we also hear from members of Lehigh’s engineering faculty as well as a local science teacher about the work they do as part of the STEM Squad–and why they believe it can truly change lives.