Programs that reached students honored to encourage replication

Emily Smith
ASME NEWS

For the first time, several programs that promote an understanding of engineering among pre-college students were recognized during EWeek last month by ASME's Board on Pre-College Education.

Eleven programs had been nominated for what will become an annual recognition. The seven programs chosen were deemed to have made a significant and lasting impact on students at the local, state, national or international level.

The goal of the new ASME recognition is to honor programs that have been effective in bringing the career possibilities of engineering to new audiences in the hope that similar programs will be recreated elsewhere, said Bill Nott, past-vice president of the Board on Pre-College Education.

"By replicating these proven programs, we can expose far more kids to the potential and excitement of engineering careers," Nott said. "For those members who have 'wanted to do something' to promote engineering, here is your opportunity."

The honorees included an event timed to commemorate National Engineers Week and Black History Month. The event was organized by the Southern New England Association of Technical Professionals (SNEATP), an alumni extension chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, which is headquartered in Hartford, Conn.

SNEATP invited three local high schools to participate in a four-hour program during which teams had to design an engine-less vehicle to carry a load that was determined by each team. The event stressed teamwork and problem solving. SNEATP plans to make it an annual program.

The Oakland County Competitive Robotics Association (OCCRA) organizes competitive robotic events to encourage high school students to develop an interest in engineering, science and math.

OCCRA is an association of Oakland County, Mich., high school robotics teams that build 125-pound robots to compete in a sports-like competition. The goal of the event is to generate enthusiasm for technical and academic disciplines, such as design engineering, electronics and physics.

The National Engineers Week Future City Competition is a program that targets seventh- and eighth-grade students to generate an ongoing interest in engineering, math and science. It does so by introducing the students to the principles of those subjects through hands-on, real-world applications.

In preparing for this annual competition, teams of students work with a practicing engineer to solve real-world problems. Through their involvement, students gain skills in problem-solving, working in teams, computers, doing research, making presentations, and applying math and science to practical problems.

For more information about these programs and the others honored by the ASME Premier Program award, the criteria against which the honorees were judged, and how to participate in future nominations, go to www.asme.org/education/precollege/index.htm.

 

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