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EWeek 2007 ENews #1 – May 30, 2006 Engineers Week 2007 will be celebrated February 18 – 24, 2007. Feel free to forward this letter or contents to other interested parties. Contents:1. EWEEK 2006 Final Report Online 1. EWEEK 2006 Final Report Online The Society of Women Engineers and Northrop Grumman Corporation led Engineers Week 2006. An Engineers Week 2006 final report is available online. You’ll find information about special projects like Connecting Educators to Engineering, awards, DiscoverE K-12 outreach, the National Engineers Week Future City Competition, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day and much more. 2. For Future City Mentors, a Refresher on the Joys of Engineering “Future City rejuvenates me,” says Sternemann, when asked why she takes time from her job as engineering group manager at General Motors’ Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness Integration program in Warren, Michigan. “When you’ve been in engineering a long time – I’ve been in the crash area for 17 years – it can get a little old. My interaction and connection with these kids rejuvenates me.” Sternemann is among hundreds of engineers who volunteer in the annual Future City Competition, the nation’s largest and most successful not-for-profit engineering education program. Students work with a teacher and mentor as they create cities of tomorrow using SimCity 3000, build a large, 3-D tabletop model, write an essay, and create an oral presentation. More than 30,000 students from 1,100 schools participated in Future City in 2006. Winning teams from 38 regional competitions will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the National Finals in Washington, D.C., February 19-21, 2007, during Engineers Week. Sternemann points out that, as a manager, she sometimes deals with people who “think they know everything,” an attitude she says commonly strays from reality. “You might think you’re thinking outside the box,” she explains, “but your mind is closed. In Future City, your mind is open. You’re free to think. With kids you get a lot of ‘what if?’” Professional engineers too often hold themselves back, she says, because they mistakenly believe they’ve pushed the envelope as far as it will go. “Sometimes the perceived limitations are not really there, but people think they are.” “Once engineers volunteer as mentors, they’re convinced of the program’s tremendous value, and they come back year after year,” says Future City National Director Carol Rieg. “Companies encourage them to return because of the advantages it offers their workers, their community and their corporate interests.” There’s also a dividend for engineering itself: a new generation becomes familiar with a profession that is often a mystery to them, says Bill Brooks of Brooks Fire Protection Engineering, Inc, who mentored the 2004 National Champs, Riverview Junior/Senior High School in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. “Students learn that society benefits from engineering in so many ways,” he says. “Prior to Future City I doubt any of the students had an appreciation for engineering, particularly how each of the varied disciplines fits into everything we do. They learn teamwork skills that engineers need to complete projects, since no one is able to make something happen individually. Successful teams get things done by working together with common goals.” For more information on how to mentor a Future City team in one of 38 regions nationwide, contact Future City National Director Carol Rieg at (877) 636-9578 or CRieg@futurecity.org, or visit www.futurecity.org and click on "Register / Register as an Engineer." Engineers will be contacted by their area's regional coordinator. 3. The Sky’s the Limit The book is available at www.shpe.org and www.aymija.com, and part of the proceeds will benefit the SHPE AHETEMS scholarship program. ----------------------------------------- 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. |
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National Engineers Week Foundation
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