Worcester Polytechnic Institute
IN-2: Innovation 2

The UTC Engineering Ambassador Program is a leadership development program for underrepresented groups in the engineering profession, sponsored by United Technologies Corporation (UTC) and run by WPI. In this program, undergraduate engineering students complete a specifically designed leadership and communications workshop. Through this training, students learn how to effectively communicate technical information to a variety of audiences and engage people in the excitement of engineering. Working in pairs, Ambassadors utilize their training by presenting and making engineering topics accessible to a variety of audiences, including K-12 students, WPI's prospective students, families, industry partners and the wider community. The goals of the Engineering Ambassadors Program are: - To create a connection with audiences in creative ways and inspire them to see the amazing opportunities and possibilities in the engineering field. - To raise the visibility of engineering as a discipline and as a career option for all, specifically women and underrepresented minorities. - To hone the leadership skills of the Ambassadors and provide opportunities and experiences that will lead to the personal and professional growth of the Ambassadors. - To provide an outreach resource to the WPI community and regional middle schools and high schools. In addition to the training described above, participants receive a quarterly stipend and preference for an internship at UTC.

In 2013-14, the Engineering Ambassadors participated in 54 events total, reaching 2,300 people. The number of events held and people reached has grown each year.