About – ASEE Commission on P-12

Commission on P-12 Engineering Education BYLAWS

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Vision, Mission, and Strategy

By P-12 engineering education, we mean engineering education that takes place in formal and informal settings for learners in preschool (P) through high school (grade 12). This is also called “pre-college” or “pre-university” engineering, inclusive of community college experiences.

Vision

The Commission on P-12 Engineering Education inspires lifelong excellence in engineering education for every person from pre-college and beyond. The problem of excellent and broadly accessible engineering education is bolstered by empowering a diverse body of students and engineering professionals to create a better world.

Our Mission

ASEE connects individuals and organizations who are committed to advancing excellence in engineering education, including that which occurs prior to, during, and beyond the college or university years. The Commission on P-12 Engineering Education supports and encourages every member of ASEE, regardless of Division membership, to aide our vision of lifelong excellence in engineering education for every person in the United States from early childhood to adulthood.

Two-pronged strategy to attend to our mission and vision:

1. Enhance and improve internal knowledge of and communication about P-12 engineering education within ASEE. Specifically:

Communicate to ASEE membership:
- The impact of P-12 engineering education on undergraduate and graduate engineering education diversity, recruitment, and retention.
- The range of P-12 efforts within ASEE, including those of the ASEE Commission on P-12 Engineering Education, the Pre-College Engineering Education (PCEE) Division, and other ASEE divisions.
- Funding opportunities appropriate to P20 engineering education.
Encourage intra-divisional (e.g., between PCEE and First Year Division) and intra-committee (e.g., with Engineering Dean’s Council) initiatives related to P-12 engineering education.
Periodically review the ASEE mission and vision to ensure its commitment to excellence in P-12 engineering education (see above).

2. Support mutually beneficial partnerships, collaborations, and relationships between ASEE and other organizations.

Explore partnerships with organizations:
- To utilize their existing infrastructure in P-12, particularly with respect to professional development credits, teacher evaluation measures, etc.
- To connect with STEM teacher preparation programs.
- To share best practices, resources, and research in engineering education (e.g., by spotlighting the P- 12 efforts of members across divisions).

Provide our engineering education expertise to outside organizations:
- To serve as a resource for states and teachers who are working to integrate engineering education – or to those who have engineering education in P-12 standards.
- To serve as a resource for any entities that are engaging in P-12 engineering education activities and/or resource development (e.g., outside professional organizations, commercial partners, and informal education venues).
- To ensure that ASEE has a voice to contribute to national-level conversations about P-12 engineering education (e.g., among national education and engineering organizations).

Statement on Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion

In partnership with ASEE and the Pre-College Engineering Education Division, the Commission on P-12 Engineering Education is committed to increasing the participation, inclusion, and empowerment of historically under-represented segments of society in all venues where engineering is taught, practiced, and supported. We believe that diversity across all dimensions is essential to enriching engineering educational and professional experiences.

We pledge to

Actively promote diversity in engineering, particularly supporting those who have been continuously disadvantaged, and also ensure that all individuals are provided with equal opportunity to access, pursue, and advance in engineering careers.
Celebrate diversity, create opportunities, and actively support inclusive environments, in which all our students, colleagues, and members of the wider society are welcomed, respected, and valued.
Work collaboratively with all engineering community members and stakeholders to disrupt systemic exclusion and to create a culture where all will thrive.
Challenge ourselves and our colleagues to increase our awareness of inequities that create barriers to student access, opportunity, and success in engineering including unconscious bias, systemic/institutional bias, discrimination, prejudice, and marginalization.

More information can be found on ASEE’s Statement on Diversity and Inclusiveness at and the ASEE SEFI Joint Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.