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Common Questions About National
Engineers Week
Q. How and when did National Engineers Week begin? A. National Engineers Week was founded in 1951, by the National Society of Professional Engineers, and has grown to a coalition of more than 70 engineering societies and over 50 major corporations and government agencies. It's always celebrated at the time of George Washington's birthday. Our nation's first president was a military engineer and a land surveyor. Q. What is the Week's purpose? A. Dedicated to raising public awareness of engineers' positive contributions to quality of life, Engineers Week promotes recognition among parents, teachers and students of the importance of a technical education and a high level of math, science, and technology literacy, and motivates youth to pursue engineering careers in order to provide a diverse and vigorous engineering workforce. Q. Who sponsors National Engineers Week? A. At the national level, there is a National Engineers Week Committee, comprised of volunteer leaders from the engineering societies and major U.S. corporations that contribute financially to the annual event. Each year a different engineering society and a corporate partner team up to chair the event. The chairing organizations are drawn from among the sponsors. Q. What are the national programs? A. For a short description of all the Engineers Week national programs, click here. For more information, additional links will take you to the appropriate pages on this site. Q. When should I begin planning local events? A. The best time to begin planning is early fall. Q. Is Discover"E" a career guidance effort? A. The Discover"E" program began in 1990 as an effort to increase visibility for engineering careers among students in grades K-12. The program quickly broadened its scope and emphasis to promote math, science and technology literacy. Q. If my school system is on vacation that week, can I hold a Discover"E" program? A. There is always the chance for scheduling conflicts or, in some cases, there is simply too much for a volunteer organization to do in one week. Volunteers are encouraged to hold their student-related activities either a week earlier or later if there is a conflict. Q. We have an active program but can't generate much media coverage. Any suggestions? A. To assist with media planning, see the how-to guide "Working with the Media" on this site. Q. How can I get involved? A. Contact the local section or chapter of your engineering society or click here for ideas for community outreach. Also check out "50 Ways One Engineer Can Make a Difference."
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National Engineers Week Foundation
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