Engineering Inc. - November/December 2008 - (Page 14)

e ven if a student doesn’t go to a four-year college, he or she can still be involved in our industry. with other members of the Michigan Design and Construction Coalition to present an infrastructure-oriented display each year at the annual Michigan Youth Engineering and Science (YES) Exposition at Ford Field in Detroit. Collaborating with the other professional associations and unions that make up the coalition does more than simply eat up a larger chunk of the exhibit floor. “It shows kids the different ways in which design and construction interact,” says ACEC/Michigan Executive Director Ron Brenke. “That’s the way we work together in real life, so why not present it that way too? Even if the student doesn’t go to a four-year college, he or she can still be involved in our industry.” To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Mackinaw Bridge at last year’s YES event, the Coalition used its scaffoldingframed booth to provide visiting students with an inside look at the bridge’s history, design and construction. Using a simulation program, students tested various components for deflection under different loads. “You had kids talking engineering with other kids, which made for a really neat connection,” Brenke says. ACEC/New York used student-tostudent communication as the theme of its new informational video, Consulting Engineering—A Career that Matters. Targeted to college freshmen and sophomores, the eightminute film features young engineers describing their work across various engineering disciplines and incorporates real project photos. “The young engineers’ responses are spontaneous and unscripted, which helps the film resonate with other young people,” says ACEC/New York Deputy Executive Director Hannah O’Grady. Having the video available on the ACEC/New York website enhances its accessibility to Member Firms, colleges, other Member Organizations and—perhaps most important—the students themselves. “This is the way today’s young people operate and get information,” O’Grady says. “If something clicks and students see an aspect of infrastructure engineering that appeals to them, they may pursue an internship with one of our firms.” I Ron BRenke acec/MicHiGan f something clicks and students see an aspect of infrastructure engineering that appeals to them, they may pursue an internship with one of our firms. HannaH o’GRady acec/new yoRk school students on a voyage of discovery about water purification, solar energy and computer simulations, and how engineers use them to make the world a better place. “We get a lot of genuine ‘I didn’t know engineers did that’ reactions from the kids,” Collins says. The foundation also has added other educational and entertaining websites, “reality” programs for public television such as Design Squad and CyberChase, the Future City Competition, and efforts focused on girls and young women, including Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day and the Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering. Launched in New York City in 1994 by former Thorton Tomasetti Co-Chairman Charles H. Thornton, ACE now has more than 100 locations nationwide where architect, engineer and contractor mentors work with teams of 15 to 25 high school students to take mock projects from concept to completion throughout the school year. To date, approximately 37,000 students have participated in ACE, many of them from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. More than 90 percent go on to higher education or apprenticeships. ACE also has awarded more than $7 million in merit-based scholarships, proving there’s no end to students’ creativity. A Proactive Message Many ACEC Member Organizations and Member Firms also have incorporated the concept of discovery and fun into student outreach efforts. ACEC/Michigan teams 14 eNGINeerING INc. November / December 2008 Additionally, an ACEC/Maine–sponsored program brought engineers from Member Firms into local public school rooms to emphasize the “cool” aspects of engineering. ACEC/Oregon members worked with engineering school officials from the University of Portland, Portland State University and the University of Oregon on an initiative to create greater interest in the field among Oregon middle and high school students. Though many students often display interest in engineering, they often don’t have the resources to follow through on their ambitions. To help, several Member Firms are now making scholarship programs a key part of their outreach efforts. One example is ACEC/Tennessee, which joined with the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers to create the Tennessee Engineering Foundation, which funds and awards scholarships to students in state engineering schools. Candy Toler, executive director of ACEC/ Tennessee, says project funds are derived from a golf tournament and donations from individuals and other Member Firms. “The screening process is performed by a group of young engineers appointed by the ACEC/ Tennessee president,” Toler explains. “This is an interesting way to get young people at Member Firms involved in the association.” ACEC/Wyoming has added unique elements to its scholarship program with the University of Wyoming’s engineering school. “Each year, we award a scholarship

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Engineering Inc. - September/October 2008 Contents From ACEC to You News & Notes Market Watch Legislative Action Engineering Goes Back to School Winning the Talent War Mastering A Hard-Luck Economy Education Makes the Grade in Green Construction 2008 Young Professionals of the Year 2008 Fall Conference Highlights Technology Members in the News One On One

Engineering Inc. - November/December 2008

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