CISTAR is committed to broadening participation in engineering and actively promotes the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM through high-quality pre-college engineering experiences for middle and high school students and teachers. CISTAR pre-college engineering experiences are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and informed by current research on pre-college engineering education. Activities include Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) and coordinated outreach activities to promote knowledge of energy concepts and engineering identities to spark and sustain more students’ interest in STEM study and STEM careers. 

CISTAR faculty, students and staff build partnerships within their local communities and nationally with K-12 partner schools, programs, and outreach efforts. The number of students and teachers touched through in-person and virtual outreach activities tied to STEM and CISTAR has grown to more than 18,000  K-12 students since the creation of the center.