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CONTACT: Donald Lehr
The Nolan/Lehr Group
(212) 967-8200 / dblehr@cs.com
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Engineers Week 2006 (February 19 – 25): Overview of Activities
Engineers Week, a formal coalition of more than 75 engineering, professional, and technical societies and more than 50 corporations and government agencies, was founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers. The program is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers among young students and by promoting pre-college literacy in math and science. Engineers Week also raises public understanding and appreciation of engineers' contributions to society. Co-chairs for 2006 are the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Northrop Grumman Corporation. Visit www.eweek.org for complete information on Engineers Week programs including:
- Connecting Educators to Engineering – A new program for Engineers Week 2006 targets middle school teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators with a coordinated effort to interact directly with engineers. Connecting will host training webcasts for volunteers, sponsor electronic forums offering educator-to-educator and educator-to-engineer dialogue, and provide educational materials designed to build engineering concepts into existing curricula. “Connecting Day” is slated for Wednesday, February 22. All online events and resources are available at www.eweek.org.
- Congressional Briefing – In conjunction with Connecting Educators to Engineering, SWE and Northrop Grumman are hosting a Congressional noontime briefing on Tuesday, February 21 on the issue of K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
- Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (Thursday, February 23) – Girl Day allows thousands of women engineers, with support from their male counterparts, to directly mentor more than one million girls and young women in K-12 with firsthand experiences in engineering. Girl Day events are listed at http://www.eweek.org/site/News/Eweek/2006_nationalpledgeroster.shtml.
- Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering – A live webcast and teleconference running continuously from Noon Thursday, March 23 through Noon Friday, March 24 (EST) at www.eweek.org. Dozens of presentations and Q&A sessions originating from points worldwide heighten awareness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics issues among pre-college, college, and young career women, and examine issues such as retaining women in college engineering programs and the workplace.
- “Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers” – The first book from the Extraordinary Women Engineers Project will be launched at a National Press Club reception on Tuesday, February 21. Information on the book, how to get involved with EWEP, and the full EWEP needs assessment report on girls and engineering are at www.engineeringwomen.org.
- New Faces of Engineering – Young engineers who have been in the workplace five years or less and have shown outstanding abilities in projects that significantly impact public welfare or further professional development and growth, are recognized for their accomplishments in USA Today and with nationwide publicity.
- National Engineers Week Future City CompetitionTM – Now in its 14th year, middle-school students in 33 regions across America work with teachers and volunteer engineers to build computer and three-dimensional scale models of cities of tomorrow. The teams present their future cities before a panel of engineer judges at regional competitions in January. First place teams from qualifying regional competitions win a trip to Washington for the Future City National Finals, February 20-22. Visit www.futurecity.org.
- DiscoverE – More than 45,000 engineers work with five and a half million students and teachers in elementary through secondary school each year through classroom visits and extracurricular programs, using educational materials provided by Engineers Week.
- Cyberchase – Joining DiscoverE's 2006 program materials is a multi-media activity guide developed from "Cyberchase," the PBS television program and web site. “Cyberchase: Math in Science and Engineering” includes activities, a CD-ROM with handouts and graphics, and a DVD with the Cyberchase episodes on which the activities are based. EWeek is also hosting teleconferences with the program’s creators from WNET-TV for volunteers to discuss effective use of the guide. Cyberchase is broadcast by more than 350 PBS stations nationwide, reaching five million viewers, including three million children age two to eleven each week.
- Online Art Auction – The original painting by artist Theo Rudnak created for the Engineers Week 2006 poster will be auctioned online, with proceeds going to middle schools competing in the 2006 Future City Competition – Louisiana region that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Bidding is at www.eweek.org/site/auction/QA/QAViewItem.asp?ItemID=1.
- Drive Time Radio Tour – Society of Women Engineers President Ronna Robertson will be interviewed on radio stations across the country on Wednesday, February 22.
- Family Day is scheduled for Saturday, February 18 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Family Day 2006 features cast members from the Cyberchase television program, judging in the Sally Ride Science Toy Contest, and dozens of hands-on engineering exhibitions. For the first time this year, Family Day features a gender equity workshop for educators, parents and those who work with children. Participants will be trained in research-based strategies to encourage interest in science, including why science matters, increasing participation and building confidence.
- Awards – The National Academy of Engineering (www.nae.org) presents its annual awards, including the $50,000 Draper Prize, on Tuesday evening, February 21 in Washington. The Chinese Institute of Engineers (www.cie-usa.org) presents the Asian American Engineer of the Year Award, recognizing outstanding Asian American professionals in academe, public service and corporations, on Saturday, February 25.
- Visioneering 2006: Athletics of the Future – This annual event for middle school students in the Dallas – Fort Worth area is scheduled for Saturday, February 18 on the campus of Southern Methodist University, and is taped for television broadcast on Channel One on May 17. This year’s topic is engineering in the sports and athletics industry. More information is available at www.theinstitute.smu.edu/visioneering/.
- Sightseer’s Guide to Engineering (www.engineeringsights.org) celebrates engineering marvels from the subtle to the spectacular in all 50 states. The public can also join in the recognition and appreciation of the achievements of America's engineers by submitting their own favorites.
- Discover Engineering (www.discoverengineering.org) – Middle school students can discover the how and why of becoming an engineer at this informational web site, featuring links to hundreds of related educational, professional, and corporate sites.
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