Impact of outreach on physics students: qualitative results from a national survey

Physics departments across the country strive to enrich the educational experience of physics majors and prepare them for their careers. While coursework and labs are central, impactful experiences like physics outreach enhance learning beyond the classroom. We present the results of the first nationwide study examining university students' experiences with physics outreach. A newly developed survey instrument, incorporating both closed- and open-ended questions, was distributed to individual physics majors through the national network of the Society of Physics Students. The survey aimed to assess students' perceptions of their physics identity, sense of belonging, mindset, and career skill readiness. This talk focuses on the qualitative analysis of the open-ended survey responses. Network analysis revealed that student experiences clustered into key themes, including resilience, self-perception, disciplinary development and connectedness, audience engagement, and personal transformation. These findings may be valuable for physics departments looking to enhance and expand students' learning experiences.