SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

ARE YOU GETTING READY TO CELEBRATE?

ASME is co-chairing Engineers Week 2012 and is looking forward to enthusiastic participation from our members. Along with the other societies and sponsoring organizations that comprise the EWeek Coalition, ASME has regularly led this weeklong celebration of engineering and promoted the expansion of EWeek activities throughout the world. We encourage you to begin to explore the many ways that you can participate in EWeek 2012. For the United States, this occurs February 19-25, 2012. That means that now is the time to sign up for program activities, plan and promote your events, select worthy nominees for the newly-established educator recognition awards, and plan to take part in the many other ways to celebrate.

This year’s focus is on recognizing and promoting excellence in STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Here are a few of the many reasons to participate:

• For engineers to fully maximize their impact in improving our planet’s quality-of-life, they must exercise their public voice, thereby integrating their contributions within an overall social and economic context.

• For engineering interests to have a vital and competent workforce now and in the future, engineers must share their stories, mentor the next generation, and nurture an innovative engineering culture.

• Engineers need to work with educators, school counselors and other educational officials to design specific programs and projects for STEM classrooms that reflect real-world challenges, spark student curiosity and ignite their imaginations.

• For ASME members in particular, greater awareness of the current under-representation of women in engineering is important to improve the diversity of thought and experience within the profession.

Complete details about how to get involved with EWeek are available in a special section of ASME.org or at www.eweek.org. For 2012, ASME is expanding its celebration of STEM educators through the DiscoverE Educator Recognition Awards, a new set of awards that will honor teachers who are the “best in class” at incorporating engineering concepts in their classrooms. Learn more about the DiscoverE Educator Recognition Awards here and then nominate a worthy educator by filling in this form. Nominations are being accepted through December 1, so don’t delay! STEM educators need our support!

ASME is also expanding its Inspire Innovation Workshops – we encourage you to host a workshop in your area. Learn how you can get involved here.

This year, ASME is also the sponsor for the research essay portion of the Future City competition — the topic couldn’t be timelier — Fueling the Future. ASME also continues support of the Global Marathon (a virtual discussion for, by and about women in engineering, which takes place in March).  Review all the activities and be sure to promote the special programs available to your own communities. 

For many, EWeek enables volunteers to organize or host a STEM classroom at a laboratory, research and development site, shop, plant, factory, university lab or other type of facility and provide them with a guided tour to expose them to jobs and STEM professionals in the field. The personal stories of engineers capture the attention of young people, showing how engineering is a career that will enable them to make a difference in the world.

And engineering is the one profession that can let them do that, because the challenges are huge: Nearly 7 billion people on Earth have quality-of-living challenges for a sustainable future. Of those 7 billion, some very basic needs are critical to survival: 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation, 1.3 lack access to clean water, and 1.4 billon lack access to electricity.  Half of the population already live in urban areas that require significant revitalization of the infrastructure to provide that future. (United Nations Development Programme, 2006.)

As engineers interested in our profession, what more motivation do we need to take action, to get involved and to ensure the next generation is ready?  I encourage you to move beyond your traditional celebration in your section or division to embrace a mentoring program (such as ASME’s mentorship program or a team project like Engineers Without Borders), an innovation workshop, or Girl-Day outreach activity. 

And on behalf of ASME, I thank the companies, organizations and individuals for making this upcoming year’s EWeek a great success. Your commitment to the promotion of engineering and your continued support will make a difference, too.

— Victoria A. Rockwell, ASME President