Connect with Future Engineers during National Engineers Month!

By Mary Beth Horton, deputy director, Business Education Compact

Each February, hundreds of engineers from various disciplines and companies pour into elementary, middle and high school classrooms to bring engineering to life for the young minds they encounter. Through interactive presentations, hands-on experiments and discussions, students get a real-world glimpse of engineering and are awakened to the exciting possibilities of careers in engineering.

The National Engineers Month (NEM) program of the Business Education Compact (BEC) is a local extension of a 55-year-old nationwide initiative to raise public awareness of opportunities and rewards of being an engineer. Since it launched its NEM service in 1995, the BEC estimates it has sent over 4,000 engineers to 7,000 classrooms, reaching 200,000 students. NEM 2006 business partners included Intel, IBM, Mentor Graphics, Xerox, PGE, Northwest Natural, Gunderson, PCC Structurals, Port of Portland, RadiSys, TriQuint, Daily Journal of Commerce, AMEC, Portland State University, Portland Community College and First Tech Credit Union.

Stimulate K-12 interest in math and science
The annual infusion of engineers into K-12 classrooms during National Engineers Month supports workforce development and quality education.

The time to connect with students and get them excited about their potential careers in engineering is now – during their K-12 school years. It is at this crucial time that interest is sparked and basic skills are established. These skills are then built upon as students progress through their K-12 experience.

Well-prepared high school graduates are then more likely to pursue post-secondary degrees in related fields, create increased demand for university programs and offer employers a capable talent pool to satisfy workforce needs.

National Engineer’s Month works!
Over the years, BEC’s NEM program has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from teachers, students and engineers. A participating teacher shared this comment:

“Excellent opportunity to plant the seeds for students to focus on math and sciences.”

An engineer that has participated in the program for more than eight years reflected:

“The best part about presenting to classes during NEM is seeing the enthusiasm in the students. It is important to get the kids involved and engaged…”

Another engineer tells of his visit to his son’s second-grade class:

“In the beginning, I asked how many wanted to be engineers. Maybe 25% raised their hands. At the end of the class I asked how many wanted to be engineers – they all raised their hands.”

NEM participation made easy
Employers participate in NEM as providers of engineers or as sponsors, paying a service fee to the BEC to coordinate their involvement, provide community recognition and feedback. Services include:

• Community awareness and publicity
• Participation will be announced with company recognition in local publications, the BEC website, through media advisories, etc.
• A simple online registration tool that allows engineers to request specific classrooms
• Matching of volunteer engineers with teachers
• Online resources that include age-appropriate curriculum and tools for classroom presentations, as well as online information about state math and science standards
• Post-event follow-up with surveys of teachers and participants and individualized company reports

The time is now!
Stimulate excitement about your field. Help connect with future engineers today by participating in National Engineers Month! To learn more about NEM and how you can make a difference, please contact Andrew Witt at the BEC (503-646-0242 x 22 or at awitt@becpdx.org).

About the Business Education Compact
Throughout its 22 years, the BEC has been investing in quality education in Oregon by: better preparing educators for the classroom of the 21st century; connecting the classroom and workplace through innovative, hands-on experiences such as student and teacher internships; and by helping students realize how studying science, math and technology can translate into exciting career opportunities. Learn more about the BEC at www.becpdx.org.

About the author
Mary Beth Horton is Deputy Director for the Business Education Compact, responsible for the organization’s operations. Through her volunteer work as marketing director for the Intel ISEF 2004, Mary Beth discovered a zeal for education, economic development and workforce development that she is able to vigorously pursue with the BEC. Her previous career in the data communications industry – much of it with AT&T – included managerial roles in sales, marketing, quality management, as well as training and development. She can be reached at mbhorton@becpdx.org.