What is U.S. Space and Rocket Center

STEM professionals need specific knowledge, abilities, and general ways of working to be successful. In this chapter, the authors identify a three-pillar approach for preparing future STEM workers including 1) knowledge of STEM careers and professionals, 2) abilities to work in the STEM fields, and 3) ways of working as STEM professionals. Additionally, the individual components and activities of Project Engage that address each pillar are detailed. Finally, this chapter also presents the results and implications discovered through survey research designed to ascertain the participants' opinions of the project activities and the impact of the activities on retention in STEM fields and on participants' desires to continue into STEM careers. The survey results uncover a trend of more positive responses of minority students towards project activities designed to prepare future STEM professionals. This trend calls for future, more in-depth examinations on the project activities and similar ones as a means to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in STEM professions.