February 1, 2009

Engineers Week Is Feb. 15–21

Dr. Robert Peltier, PE

Inspiring Junior Engineers

Many 7th and 8th graders have been introduced to the profession of engineering by the National Engineers Week Future City Competition (www.futurecity.org), now in its 17th year and the nation’s largest not-for-profit engineering education program. For 2009, more than 30,000 middle schoolers nationwide will work in teams with volunteer engineers in a semester-long project to create their vision of a city of the future, complete with infrastructure, energy systems, and skyscrapers.

"The program inspires a respect for the role STEM plays in solving many of the pressing global and social needs we are all facing. And it helps possibly lay the foundation for many of them to pursue a career in these areas, something they might never have considered before," said Kathryn Gray, PE, National Engineers Week 2009 chair and past president of the National Society of Professional Engineers. The students create their cities using SimCity 4 Deluxe software and then build 3-D table-top scale models. This year’s topic is "Creating a Self Sufficient System Within the Home Which Conserves, Recycles and Reuses Existing Water Sources." Thirty-six regional competition winners from 1,100 middle schools will then compete head-to-head for the overall title in Washington, D.C., during National Engineers Week this month.

Pay Your Dues

Recruiting the next generation of engineers and technologists is important, so pay your dues. They’re being put to good use.

--Dr. Robert Peltier, PE