Outreach Toolkit

The Outreach Toolkit offers a step-by-step process for you to refer to when planning your outreach events. Begin with the Event Planning Worksheet, which provides a step-by-step process for you and your team to follow for your Outreach Events.

1. Plan Funding and Partnerships for your Program

Funding

Grant funding opportunities include SWE Program Development Grants, the National Girls Collaborative Project, and STEMfinity’s List of STEM Grants.

Partnerships

Making the Most of Partnerships – Finding partners to help with networking, materials, cooperation, or funding. When looking for local partners to help, register for your event. When others outside SWE request SWE speakers, role models, or mentors, refer them to the Fabfem database.

2. Create Your Team

Organizing an event requires Project Team members. Use the Roles and Responsibilities resource to help with facilitating area tasks. Seek out those who are willing to help with various tasks, but those with a skill that you may lack yourself and are best suited for the specified tasks needed. Consider the following when creating your team:

• Availability
• Willingness to assist
• Special talents
• Reliability/commitment
• Ability to lead others

Training

Make sure your team completes the required and necessary training prior to your program. 

1. Required Training: All SWE members and volunteers interacting with youth under age 18 at a SWE-sponsored event or activity must review and act in accordance with SWE’s Youth Protection Policy and complete the required training. Please visit swe.org/youth protection for more information.
2. Elective Training:
   • Role Models Matter 101 – Who Are Role Models and Why Do They Matter
   • Role Models Matter: Bias Literacy
   • Role Models Matter: Kickstarting STEM Interest in Girls Ages 5-11
   • Sustaining the Spark of STEM in Middle School Students
   • Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
   • Performing Outreach in a Virtual World 

3. Plan Your Program (Select Activity, Open Registration, Templates & Resources)

• View a variety of partner resources. 
• Get ideas for your next outreach event from the “playbooks” submitted by SWE Sections, Affiliates and MALs to the Outreach Playbook Challenge!

• • Bluegrass Section SWE – Spaceship Escape Room
  • Boston SWE – Environmental Challenge
  • Colorado School of Mines SWE- Girls Are SMART
  • Columbia River SWE – Home Scientist
  • Dallas SWE – Design Your World
  • Drexel University SWE – High School Mentorship
  • Georgia Institute of Technology SWE – Binary Bracelets
  • Houston Area SWE – Introduce A Girl to Engineering Day
  • IIT Ropar SWE – STEM Career Guidance
  • Northern Illinois University SWE – Popsicle Stick Flashlights
  • Marquette University SWE – Wind Turbines
  • PittSWE – SWEtastic STEM Challenge
  • San Luis Obispo SWE – Fourth Grade Days
  • San Diego SWE – Girls in STEM Inspiration Day
  • Southern California SWE – High School Conference
  • UCLA SWE – Code LED Lights
  • UC San Diego SWE – Envision STEM Outreach
  • University of Lagos SWE – Rocket Balloon Car

Register Participants using Eventbrite. Refer to the Eventbrite Best Practices for a step-by-step process, including required forms and waivers.

• Permission Form for Minors
• Student and Parent Educator Program Track Acknowledgement
• Minor Media Release Form
• Adult Media Release Form
• Insurance Coverage Questionnaire

Create Volunteer Shifts Using Volunteerlocal. Refer to the Volunteerlocal Resource for additional information. Volunteer Match is a volunteer resource that does background checks.

• Certificate of Completion template
• Check-In Sheet for Outreach
• Event Flyer Template
• Press Release Template
• Promote SWENext
• Schedule/Agenda Template
• SWE Store

4. Secure Your Speaker/Panel

Use the Sample Panel Questions resource that includes two-panel questions for two topics: Why Engineering? And Preparing for Engineering Success. Feel free to add, remove, and/or edit the questions to better align with your panelists’ personalities. It is recommended that you review the ‘chosen’ questions with your panelists in advance.

5. Implement Your Program

Follow the steps within this toolkit to implement your Outreach Event. Be sure to use the Event Planning Worksheet, which provides a step-by-step process for you and your team to complete your Outreach Event.

6. Assess Your Event & Share on Social Media

Are you planning to host an outreach program soon? Do you have photos from a previous outreach event that you want to share with SWE HQ? Use hashtag #SWEOutreach to tag your Outreach Event photos on social media. Don’t forget to encourage your volunteers and attendees to post photos from the event.

Invite them to tag SWE on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, while using the hashtag #SWEOutreach.

Additional Resources

• The Role Model Impact
• DiscoverE helps unite, mobilize, and support the engineering and technology volunteer communities. There are various resources available, including 10 Reasons to Love Engineering, Conversation Starters, and Activities.
• EngineerGirl.org’s website is designed to bring national attention to the exciting opportunities that engineering represents for girls and women.
• Howtosmile.org benefits from a prestigious and diverse array of national organizations dedicated to STEM.
• Tryengineering.org has resources for Students and Teachers.
• Managing Connections
  • Become a role model
  • The Connectory connects STEM learning opportunities that inspire young people to explore, discover, and create.