Utilizing Cross-Program Collaboration to Sustain & Enhance STEM Outreach Portfolios

Effective management and growth of STEM outreach programs remains an ongoing challenge for many organizations and institutions. While the goals of broadening participation are clear and commonly shared, there is little established guidance on how to build and sustain a successful portfolio of programs. Newly funded initiatives, especially, face pressure to quickly establish programs to compete with more experienced organizations and centers but can often overwhelm limited staff. We have recently implemented an innovative model that engages participants as active contributors to improving and sustaining our portfolio of outreach programs. Rather than treating each program in isolation, this approach specifically utilizes the diverse experiences and skill sets of program participants to enhance the activities and objectives of other programs within the same portfolio. In doing so, we believe this allows for a more robust set of programs to be created and supported. We highlight how this model was implemented for three of our core programs: a summer research experience for undergraduates, a research experience for high school teachers, and a summer camp for high school students focused on materials science and engineering. The integration and exchange across programs provides benefits and extends beyond just the sharing of resources. It fosters an inclusive community in which participants contributions matter beyond just their own experience. While tested on materials research education and outreach programs, we believe this approach of utilizing participants' strengths to enhance a portfolio of programs could be applied to STEM outreach broadly across disciplines. Crucially, the model can be integrated into existing outreach efforts, leading to continuous improvement and increased impact over time.