Engineering outreach by asking "Who Wants to be an Engineer?"

A popular television show inspired the development of a game intended for use with engineering outreach activities, such as open houses and classroom presentations, at the University of Kentucky's Paducah extension campus. Available freely for download, the game inspires students to consider engineering as a potential profession by demonstrating that students already know some things that an engineer will need to know. The game itself, called "Who Wants to be an Engineer?", is an individual quiz consisting of three grade-level specific questions of increasing difficulty covering topics in basic mathematics, science, and engineering. Correct answers result in the student winning prizes donated by local industry. Four people, a computer, and large format computer display (e.g. LCD Projector) are required to run the game in its typical showcase implementation. Both participants and the audience indicate the game is entertaining. Assessment conducted to date indicates students do exit the game with a more positive impression of engineering and an increased willingness to consider engineering as a career option.