Abstract
Professional outreach is an important responsibility of every member of the Human Factors & Ergonomics Society (HFES). By communicating information about our profession to outsiders, we increase visibility of the field, foster better understanding and hence increased cooperation from allied disciplines, promote sensitivity to user concerns, educate users to demand effectively designed products and services, and also, provide for continued recruitment of new generations into this discipline. This presentation focuses on the latter purpose, presentations intended to increase awareness of our profession among middle-, high school, and undergraduate college students. It uses a simple three-point framework to guide human factors professionals in preparing a clear, dynamic, relevant, and convincing presentation that can be delivered extemporaneously. The template is customized by the presenter who integrates his/her own experiences, and tailors it to the age group of the audience. This approach capitalizes upon the presenter's experience-based credibility and familiarity with personal examples, to ensure a presentation that is well received by young adult audiences.
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