(OE)²serves as a link between College of Engineering (CoE) faculty, students, scholars and staff and both its local and virtual communities. We address issues related to diversity; serve as a resource for potential students and their parents; and contribute in meaningful ways to our community. We encourage and help our faculty to engage our community's school children and their parents, teachers and educators, and public citizens to help raise academic achievement and increase understanding and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (the "STEM" disciplines).

To address diversity, (OE)² supports ongoing efforts by CoE faculty, students, scholars and staff to motivate, prepare, educate, and support outstanding, qualified students to enter the engineering field. With community partners, we help create original and unique educational outreach programs or take advantage of ongoing projects that boast the same high quality and adhere to the same high standards as the research on which they are based. (OE)² also provides assistance to faculty, scholars and students who wish to increase diversity and promote the public understanding of engineering and science. (OE)^2 staff provides personal assistance with proposals, planning, implementation; facilitation and coordination on assessment and evaluation of research-based programs; coordination with other groups across campus; and collaboration opportunities with external groups. Program types include summer and after-school programs for secondary students; classroom assistance, research and professional development opportunities for teachers; and special programs and events for all groups.

To serve as a resource for students and parents and contribute to the community-at-large, (OE)² aims its programs at specific audiences both inside and outside the context of formal degree programs. (OE)² collects program data via an Internet-based activities registry (simply click on the link "Outreach People Survey" to fill out the on line form). Site design tailors the information to CoE's primary audiences. Existing and developing programs support the "Learning Continuum" (illustrated below), which depicts learning levels, audiences and participants, and examples of activities.