OrganizingGroup:
Engineering societies,industries and universities in the Rochester (NY) area. 

Brief descriptionof the program: 
The "E³(Engineering, Exploration, and Experimentation) Fair" is an extension ofNational Engineers Week but takes place in April to allow students to completethe projects they might have been making for school anyway.  (Alsoto allow us to hold the Fair in the RIT Ice Rink; without the ice.) The fair is a day-long event with separate daytime and evening programs.During the day, middle school students display individual engineering projectsfor judging, and/or participate in a team competitions including robotics.Each team has a sponsoring teacher and a local volunteer engineer-mentor.Typically, 650 students representing 28 middle schools, participate. Encirclingthese exhibits, 20-30 technical engineering societies, industries, tradeand educational groups display hands-on engineering and science activitiesfor all ages. High school students also attend to gain exposure to engineeringcareer opportunities. Total attendance runs to 4000.

Budget:
Between $7000and $8000 is raised annually, through donations from the various engineeringsocieties and local companies. It costs $3000 for the facility (rental,custodian, utilities, supplies for booths), $1500 for mailing, stationery,publicity, $1000 for gifts for all participants, $2000 for awards.

Number of peopleinvolved: 
A core of 12 peoplemake up the committee.  Each year a new lead Engineering Society isselected and provides the E³ chairperson.

Contact:
For more detailedinformation contact Dr. Jayanti Venkataraman (1998 Chair), Dept. of ElectricalEngineering, RIT, 1 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623, (585) 475-2143,or Jon Kriegel (2000 Chair)  kriegelj@asme.orgat Eastman Kodak (585) 726-5114.