This case study reviewed the collaborative efforts of university engineers, teacher educators, and middle school teachers to advance sixth-and seventh-grade students' learning through a series of project-based engineering activities. This two-year project enriched regular school curricula by introducing real-world applications of science and mathematics concepts that expanded opportunities for creativity and problem-solving, introduced problem-based learning, and provided after-school programming (for girls only) led by engineering students from the local university. This engineering education initiative showed significant impact on students' (1) confidence in science and mathematics; (2) effort toward science and mathematics; (3) awareness of engineering; and (4) interest in engineering as a potential career. With regard to gender, there were no significant differences between boys' and girls' responses. The girls' confidence in their own skills and potential, however, was significantly more positive than the boys' confidence in the girls. These results gave rise to new questions regarding mentor/mentee relationships and the overall effect of "girls only" mentoring.

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and Multicriteria Decision Making. Her engineering education activities include enhancing mathematics, communication skills, critical thinking and creativity in engineering students and teaching science to education professionals. Dr. High is a trainer for Project Lead the Way pre-Engineering. She initiated an engineering program at Stillwater Middle School. In the summer of 2008, Dr. High was part of a professional development workshop for 80 Northeast Oklahoma middle level teachers to develop integrated engineering curriculum.

University. Her interests include developing fraction sense, representation and how it impacts students ability to visualize and "do" math, math anxiety and its impact on pre-service teachers, impact of high-stakes testing on teachers and the way they teach, technology as a learning tool, and teacher retention.