The All-Akron Student Engineering Program started as an outreach facet of the Akron Waterways Renewed! Program in 2016, and has since grown into a full-fledged program that works with all Akron schools, primarily Akron Public Schools, to get high school students workforce ready with 21st century skills identified by OhioMeansJobs.

During the winter and spring, students in the AASEP attend six, six-hour workshops comprised of mini workshops, lunch, lessons and activities to develop soft skills, such as professional communication and leadership, and to practice workforce readiness skills through unique, local engineering challenges, such as developing a plan for end-of-life tires from The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.  The aim of the workshops is to offer pragmatic advice and provide hands-on experience for juniors and seniors interested in pursuing a future in engineering.

Student will also be involved in a "Draft day" workshop event where students deliver one-minute speeches to one of the participating area firms, including: Anser Advisory, Arcadis, the City of Akron, Environmental Design Group, FirstEnergy, Thomarios, GPD Group, and Cleveland Clinic. After a brief networking session and lunch, the students are removed while the companies compete in a draft to select the student that they want to offer an internship to. Spring STEM Fest is the sixth and final workshop when students find out which company selected them for an internship.

The 17 participating firms offered 28 total paid internships that are opportunities of high-level professional experience. These opportunities create equity for students in Akron that would otherwise not be able to engage in professional networking or get experience and exposure that can help them solidify their post high school plans.

Congratulations to the cycle six cohort!