STEM-Style Electrical Engineering Workshops: "Telephone Workshops"

Project Overview:

Telephone Workshops is an innovative, scalable STEM initiative designed to ignite curiosity and confidence in youth and teens by exploring the fascinating world of electrical engineering through the lens of historical telephony. Developed by The Telephone Museum, Inc., this program builds on over a decade of success, offering hands-on, inquiry-based learning that blends electrical theory with practical exploration and engineering history.

Through immersive, workshop-based learning, students discover fundamental concepts such as Ohm’s Law, circuit design, semiconductor technology, and the transformation of voice into electrical signals. They investigate telephone components—handsets, transmitters, inductors, and more—while learning about the inventors and scientists who shaped communication technology.

Target Audience & Setting:

The program serves approximately 1,000 youth and teens annually in the Greater Boston Area. Sessions are held at The Telephone Museum and are facilitated by undergraduate and graduate engineering students, supported by professional engineers who serve as mentors and role models.

Program Design & Approach:

At its core, the program inspires intrinsic motivation and curiosity, encouraging participants to "take stuff apart" and discover how electricity behaves through tactile and visual learning. Students gain real-world experience with wiring, small-component assembly, and using tools—skills that translate directly to engineering disciplines.

The workshops foster:

• Conceptual understanding of electricity as a mathematical ratio (e.g., Ohm’s Law)

• Hands-on skill-building and dexterity

• Historical appreciation for engineering milestones

• Confidence and self-efficacy in technical tasks

• Evaluation Strategy:
• A two-year longitudinal evaluation will assess the program’s effectiveness and scalability. Conducted by The Telephone Museum, the evaluation includes:
• Formative Evaluation:

• Baseline data collection on STEM exposure and knowledge

• Ongoing feedback from participants and educators

• Observation of teaching methods and student engagement

• Tracking skill development in wiring, tool use, and theoretical comprehension

• Summative Evaluation:

• Impact on students’ understanding of electric theory and the voice-electric signal transformation

• Gains in interest and confidence in engineering and STEM careers

• Effectiveness of mentorship by engineering students and professionals

• Scalability of the workshop model across other informal education settings

• Broader Impact & Dissemination:
• The Telephone Workshops aim to strengthen STEM learning beyond the classroom. The project cultivates:

• Partnerships with schools and community organizations

• Greater parent and community engagement in informal STEM programs

• Broader participation from underserved and underrepresented groups

• Dissemination of findings and best practices through professional networks and social media platforms

• This model offers a promising framework for sustained, hands-on STEM engagement, combining education, history, and engineering to prepare the next generation of problem solvers and innovators.