The College of Engineering (CoE) at the University of Oklahoma (OU) recognizes the importance of engaging K-12 students and their parents, teachers, and administrators in collaborative educational efforts. In response, CoE recently established the Sooner Engineering Education Center (SEED). SEED is dedicated to recruiting, nurturing, and retaining potential engineers at all stages of the educational enterprise. Specifically, SEED fosters research of engineering education and the creation, implementation, and evaluation of innovative engineering education initiatives at all stages, including K-12. Located in the new ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility (EPF), SEED serves as a focal point for engineering education efforts supported by the CoE. These efforts collectively serve to increase the quantity and diversity of students pursuing engineering disciplines and to ensure that all of our engineering students have opportunities to enhance their education through service learning and novel academic instruction and pathways. SEED will coordinate and manage CoE’s diverse portfolio of K-12 outreach programs including an after-school science and engineering club for elementary, three summer camps for high school students, one bridge camp for matriculating engineering freshmen and an academy for secondary science teachers. The Director of the SEED Center is Dr. Randa Shehab. Dr. Susan Walden and Dr. Deborah Trytten are founding members and support the center.
