Engineers Week 2008 will be celebrated February 17 – 23, and is co-chaired by the Chinese Institute of Engineers (CIE)–USA and IBM Corporation. Feel free to forward this letter or contents to other interested parties.

Contents:
1. Engineers Explore New Planet
2. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun in Engineering
3. In Local News

1. Engineers Explore New Planet
Astronomers may have taken Pluto off the list of planets but engineers have found a new planet called Helio. Beginning February 16 kids around the world can save Helio from running out of energy and facing an ecological crisis. PowerUp, a new Internet 3D multiplayer virtual world game, powers up on February 16. IBM has developed the game to engage kids and educators in engineering, energy, and diversity awareness. The impetus for the game is IBM's leadership of Engineers Week 2008and is part of IBM's TryScience initiative. The TryScience team from the New York Hall of Science worked with The Tech Museum (San Jose, California) on the activities and game content. There will also be classroom lesson plans associated with the energy transformation topics and an interactive module on the value of 3D technologies for learning. Click here for a preview now and come back February 16.

back to top

2. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun in Engineering:
Techbridge Can Help
"Can I really take it apart? Is it all right to break it?"
Do you remember when you first knew you wanted to be an engineer? We hear from many engineers that they became interested when they had the chance to tinker. Even if you weren't successful in putting the object back together again, the chance to try to figure out how it worked was reward enough. Techbridge gives girls the chance to experience the joy of figuring out how things work. Now Techbridge has a free resource guide available online, just in time for Engineers Week. Get Involved. Make a Difference. A Guide for Classroom Visits and Field Trips for K-12 Students. Visit www.techbridgegirls.org or email Techbridge@ChabotSpace.org.

In after-school and summer programs, Techbridge girls get to work on a variety of hands-on projects that include building telephones, soldering LED key chains, taking apart lawnmower engines, and designing green dollhouses. Read the article by Techbridge Program Director Linda Kekelis.

Chabot Space & Science Center launched Techbridge in 2000 to help increase and diversify the pipeline in technology, science, and engineering. Techbridge has directly served over 2,000 girls in primarily underserved communities in its after-school and summer programs. The program is hosted in elementary, middle and high schools, mostly in the Oakland, California, area.

back to top

3. In Local News
In Ohio .....The University of Akron hosts Kids Career Day at the Auburn Science and Engineering Center on February 23. Kids Career Day is a half-day program designed to involve 350 children in interactive activities related to occupations in engineering, science, technology, and math. Each activity showcases professional women who are currently employed as scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. The event is sponsored by Lockheed Martin, the university and Girl Scouts. To join see www.ecgf.uakron.edu or hec9@uakron.edu ... At the Marion Technical College, several events will introduce the community to the Engineering Technologies department. They include an open house with speakers and demonstrations from different disciplines, special invitations to local scouting groups to tour the department facilities and see some demonstrations, and job shadowing for local girls. See www.mtc.edu or shafferj@mtc.edu. ..... IBM in Hamilton will give presentations to the New Miami Elementary 6th grade class. Contact is roevans@us.ibm.com. ... Five women engineers from KS Associates in Elyria are looking to connect with a local girls' group. Please contact if in the Elyria (Cleveland) area czaplac@ksassociates.com.

In Arizona .... For the seventh straight year, IBM in Phoenix is teaming with its business partners, American Express and Symantec, to host Women in Technology Seminars and school math and science visits. This year a strategic partnership was forged with Intel to team with their WIT efforts. "Hermanas, Design Your Future" is with Estrella Mountain Community CollegeFor the past three years, the Latina Outreach Working Group (part of the Intel Latino Network) in Arizona has hosted "Hermanas, " reaching over 400+ Hispanic female students and introducing them to engineering. For 2008, the plan is to target 300 girls in grades 6-12. Contact is Gabriela_A_Gonzalez@hotmail.com.. ..See another event at Xavier College Preparatory. Combined, the conferences target 150 women each, for a total of 500 women reached (including school visitations). Contacts are Michael Reidy, mreidy@us.ibm.com and Meng Tay, IBM. Returning are Karen Kowal, Vice President, Enterprise Applications & Integration, American Express. The Hermanas Intel Co-Chairs are Marge Goodman, Information Security Analyst and Sheri Wardle, Systems Analyst.

Add news of your local events to the Engineers Week Forum.

back to top

-----------------------------------------

To submit content or comments, or to be added to our email distribution list, please e-mail eweek@nspe.org. All suggestions will be considered.

Founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, Engineers Week (February 18-24, 2007) is celebrated annually by thousands of engineers, engineering students, teachers, and leaders in government and business. In 1988, the National Engineers Week consortium expanded its scope and now includes more than 100 engineering, scientific, and education societies and major corporations dedicated to enhancing the public understanding of the engineering profession and to promoting pre-college interest in math, science, and engineering as a career option.

Previous issues of the EWEEK ENEWS available here.

back to top

National Engineers Week Foundation
1420 King Street   Alexandria, VA 22314
tel. 703.684.2852   email: eweek@nspe.org