EWeek

EWeek 2006 ENews #8 – January 9, 2006

National Engineers Week 2005 will be celebrated February 20-26. Feel free to forward this letter or contents to other interested parties.

Contents:
1. Art Auction Benefits Future City Schools
2. Today's Deadline
3. SWE Engineers Week Chair Calls for Support
4. Future City Regional Competitions Begin
5. Explore Engineering Booklet Available
6. In Local News

1. Art Auction Benefits Future City Schools
Natural disasters in 2005 affected hundreds of thousands of lives. Engineers Week partners can help a group of dedicated teachers, engineers, and middle school students. We are proud to offer for unconditional sale the original painting created for the popular Engineers Week 2006 poster. All proceeds from this auction will go to the middle schools competing in the 2005/2006 National Engineers Week Future City Competition – Louisiana region. Many of these schools were devastated by the Gulf Coast hurricanes, especially Hurricane Katrina. Please read how middle school students affected by the hurricane's devastation are responding.

This art sale is made possible through the generous donation of artist Theo Rudnak and represents an amazing opportunity to own not only an original artwork but, for the first time in Engineers Week history, unlimited usage rights. Imagine the possibilities for corporate, educational, or association use. To participate in the auction, click here.

2. Today's Deadline
Today is the deadline to register for the January 11 teleconference briefing on the new Cyberchase: Math in Science & Engineering project. Once you register you will receive the dial-in information and new toolkit in time for Wednesday's teleconference. Contact asquire@nspe.org, subject line Cyberchase January 11.

3. SWE Engineers Week Chair Calls for Support
In January of 2004, the National Science Board issued a warning and a challenge. The warning concerned disturbing workforce trends that, if left unchecked, seriously threatened to erode America's technological base. The challenge focused on America's scientific, engineering, and technical communities.

According to Engineers Week Chair Patricia Welesko Garland in an editorial, "When the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Northrop Grumman Corporation became co-sponsors of Engineers Week 2006, we decided to respond to the NSB's challenge. A new project, Connecting Educators to Engineering, was born.

"From the outset, we wanted Connecting Educators to Engineering to make a lasting, positive impact on the education system. Where prior outreach efforts had focused directly on students, influencing the lives of tens of thousands, Connecting Educators to Engineering would be different. It would form new relationships with tens of thousands of teachers, guidance counselors, and school administrators. In that way, we hoped to influence the future academic paths of millions of students.

"For added impact, we focused on the middle school years – the formative period researchers had determined to be pivotal to the development of future math, science and technology majors."

In concept, Connecting Educators to Engineering is simple. Working engineers and advanced-technologists contact local middle school educators to:

build engineering concepts into the existing curriculum
develop new technical curricula
serve as role models for students
speak to classes about the true nature of modern engineering work and the realities of the engineering workplace
organize after class activities and field trips
and serve as technical resources and advisors

Get involved in Connecting Educators by clicking here.

4. Future City Regional Competitions Begin
The regional contests to determine the national finalists in the 2006 National Engineers Week Future City Competition start this month. The first is Hampton Roads, Virginia, on January 7. On January 14th the New York, Idaho, and North Carolina competitions take place at Rensselear Polytechnic, Boise State University, and North Carolina Museum of History, respectively. On the 18th Michigan students compete at the Rock Financial Showplace. Learn more at www.futurecity.org.

5. Explore Engineering Booklet Available
A new booklet from Sally Ride Science, What do you Want to Be: Explore Engineering, features twelve brief biographies of contemporary women in engineering from biomedical engineers and design engineers to chemical engineers, robotics engineers, and more. Each engineer describes what she does, how she got into it, and why she enjoys it. Next to each biography there are fun activities (crossword puzzles, word jumbles, things to wonder about) to do related to each career. This book - written especially for readers ages 9-13 - conveys the excitement of engineering and the wide variety of engineering careers available. It also prompts young readers to think about the things they like to do and possible engineering careers. The book is available in soft cover for $6 at www.sallyridescience.com.

6. In Local News
"Engineers are Everywhere" is a new coloring book produced by the Society of Women Engineers-Detroit. The coloring book exposes very young children to engineering in a fun and visible manner. It depicts women and men in a variety of engineering occupations and working together as a team. Order forms can be found on http://www.swe.org/SWE/RegionH/Detroit/students.htm in the SWE Merchandise section. Inquiries to jennifer.morikawa@swe.org.

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

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 19-25, 2006) 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.