The key to designing outreach activities students remember

Over the years, I have organised STEM outreach workshops, AI and vibe coding activities, mathematics games, pre-university summer institute programmes and Hour of Code events for learners across different age groups. Through these experiences, I have learned that students remember outreach activities most strongly when they are actively involved in creating, discussing, experimenting and solving problems together.

I have realised that the most memorable outreach activities are often not the ones with the most detailed explanations, but the ones that immediately spark students’ curiosity and allow them to experience success themselves. Popular culture references, interactive challenges and visible outcomes can all play an important role in making learning memorable. For example, one of my most successful outreach activities, SquidMath, inspired by the Netflix television series Squid Game, quickly captures students’ attention, and transforms mathematics and problem-solving into something exciting and collaborative.

• University outreach starts with a simple question
• Inspire the next generation of bioengineering lab technicians
• Widen access to higher education by improving school attainment

Similarly, activities where students can immediately interact with something they have created themselves, such as an Hour of Code workshop to develop AI chatbots or a simple vibe coding prototype, often generate strong experimentation among learners within a short period of time. These moments frequently become the starting point for students to continue exploring and learning independently long after the outreach activity has ended.

1. Start with activities instead of explanations

One common challenge in outreach is the temptation to explain too much before allowing students to participate. During my mathematics game workshops, I frequently use what I call a “try it before we explain” pedagogy, in which students are first presented with fun brain teasers or interactive puzzles, before we discuss the theories and complicated equations behind them.

At one government-supported public science outreach event, students participated in SquidMath activities. Participants had to solve mathematics and logic problems before progressing to the next stage and eventually competing for a grand prize. Rather than beginning with formal mathematical explanations, students first engaged directly with the challenges themselves. By connecting mathematical problem solving with a television series that was already highly popular among primary and secondary school students, the activity immediately drew students into the challenge.

Only after students became engaged in solving the challenges did we further discuss the mathematical thinking and problem-solving strategies behind the activities. I have found that students often appreciate the underlying concepts much more after first experiencing the challenges themselves.

2. Design activities with quick and visible success

Students become more motivated when they can quickly see the results of their work. This is especially important for outreach activities where participants may have limited prior experience.

For coding outreach, I often use beginner-friendly tools such as MIT App Inventor because students can rapidly create visual and interactive applications without becoming overwhelmed by syntax. In my Hour of Code workshops, students build simple games or AI chatbots using the inventor and can immediately interact with what they created right after the session. Students are often surprised by how quickly they can create something functional within a short period of time.

I have found this especially effective for primary and secondary school students because the immediate feedback makes the learning experience feel real and rewarding. Many students become highly engaged once they realise they can directly test, modify and improve what they have built themselves. Even simple games or AI chatbots created by students often generate discussion and experimentation after the workshop has already ended.

3. Make collaboration part of the experience

In many of my workshops, students work in teams to solve problems, discuss ideas or create projects collaboratively. In SquidMath activities, for example, students need to collaborate and solve mathematical challenges together in order to “survive” and progress to the next stage of the game. These collaborative elements naturally encourage discussion, teamwork and peer learning because students become highly invested in helping their teams succeed.

During SquidMath, students who are initially shy often become more willing to ask questions or contribute ideas after interacting with teammates. Small moments of encouragement can also make a significant difference in helping students build confidence and remain engaged throughout the activity. They become much more willing to experiment, contribute ideas and make mistakes when they feel supported rather than judged.

4. Think beyond one-off outreach events

One limitation of many outreach activities is that they end without giving students opportunities to continue learning. I have observed that many students who first encounter STEM through beginner workshops later become interested in participating in competitions, advanced courses or related university programmes. These progression pathways are important because confidence and interest often develop gradually.

For this reason, I try to connect outreach workshops with follow up opportunities such as supplementary online learning materials, more complete pre-university courses, coding competitions, Moocs and self-paced online learning platforms. Through these opportunities, students can continue exploring programming and STEM topics after outreach events end. Some students continue experimenting and developing projects further through my Moocs after their first outreach experience.

5. Focus on memorable experiences instead of content coverage

It is impossible to teach students everything during a short outreach session. However, what we can do is create experiences that spark curiosity and leave lasting impressions.

Students may not remember every technical detail from an outreach activity, but they often remember the excitement and enjoyment of the experience itself. More importantly, these experiences can motivate students to continue exploring and learning independently afterward.

This is why I believe one of the most important objectives of outreach is to create meaningful entry points that encourage students to continue exploring independently, supported by follow-up opportunities such as supplementary online learning references and Moocs, which allow them to continue experimenting and learning afterward.

Kenneth Wai-Ting Leung is associate professor of engineering education at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. 

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.