http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/ Celeste Baine's thoughts, perceptions and ideas about marketing engineering education. en-us Copyright 2009-2012 Celeste Baine http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2012/01/jets.html Dear Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS),

I never got to say goodbye. I read about it on Facebook. I remember when I heard the news I simply could not believe it. One day you were there and the next, you weren't. It was the fall of a giant  an organization that had just celebrated 60 years of service to the pre-engineering community.

You were a great friend and I enjoyed the time we had to work together. JETS was very resourceful and offered strategic advice when I was writing the first of edition of my first book, "Is There an Engineer Inside You?" in 1998. Then again, our bond deepened when you acquired my newsletter, "The Pre-Engineering Times" in 2005. We shared booth space at ASEE conferences and you were instrumental in getting this novice started in the world of engineering education.

JETS, you will be missed and will always hold a special place in my heart.

--

JETS engaged students in a variety of educational programs designed to increase awareness of what engineers do and to show how math and science knowledge make tangible differences in the world. After many decades of service to the STEM community the JETS organization has dissolved. The Technology Student Association (TSA) has acquired their TEAMS and UNITE competitions. TEAMS and UNITE will continue as scheduled in 2012, but now will be managed by TSA celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:40:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2012/01/jets.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2012/01/ingenuity.html My good friend Pete, an avid promoter of engineering, sent me this email yesterday. Although I'm sure that most of us are happy and maybe thrilled to see money being infused into the STEM movement, does it also make you feel frustrated, agitated or left out? Is engineering getting the credit it deserves?

From Pete....

"I sort-of wish we could change the acronym "STEM" to something else. Engineering derives from the the Latin "ingens" (which we use in "ingenuity"), and "engine-ers" are the people who "do" ingenuity (just like a "farm-er" "does" farming).

Ingenuity came hundreds of thousands of years before science, and early engineers invented mathematics and science (the Scientific Method, too) as tools for them to improve on existing technology.

From broken stones, to chipped stones (tekking), to language (agreeing, in Greek, is "nai"), to logging the process in words ("logos"). How can we talk to our kids honestly if we keep saying "Science and Math are important" when in fact doing science or math results only in a concept, a technology. If we don't practice the concept, no one benefits from it."

What do you think? celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Thu, 24 Jan 2012 07:43:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2012/01/ingenuity.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2012/01/sef.html Engineers are our modern day superheros. Find out how to be a green engineer that focuses on saving the world, a sports equipment designer that makes Olympic athletes soar, an engineer that explores the mysterious depths of the ocean and/or an engineer that designs rides and roller coasters that make even the most hedonistic thrill seekers tremble in fear. Learn about hundreds of exciting engineering careers and get your free prize just for stopping by my booth at the book fair of the USA Science and Engineering Festival.

The USA Science and Engineering Festival, held April 28-29 in Washington D.C., is the country's only national science festival, and was developed to increase public awareness of the importance of science and to encourage youth to pursue careers in science and engineering by celebrating science in much the same way as we celebrate Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes and pop stars.

The Festival will feature over 2000 fun, interactive exhibits, more than 100 stage shows and 33 Author Presentations. I'm happy to say that I am one of the authors giving a presentation on Saturday followed by an hour-long book signing. If you read this blog and plan to attend, please come by to say hello! I'd love to meet you and celebrate engineering with you.

Undecided About Your Career? USA Science and Engineering Festival Provides Great Career Ideas, Resources and Inspiration to Set You on a Course for Success.

Not only can you participate by attending the festival but you can also attend one of the satellite events around the country.

Are you attending? Post your comments. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:50:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2012/01/sef.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2012/01/stats.html Last month, I received these statistics about engineering (Thanks Barbara!)

* In 2008, engineers held about 1.6 million jobs. Overall engineering employment is expected to grow by 11 percent over the 2008-18 decade (to 1,750,300) (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment by detailed occupation, 2008 and projected 2018).
* 13.4 percent of engineering professionals are women (2011 Data Book, NACME).
* 21 percent of girls say their parents encouraged them to become an actress, while 10 percent of girls say their parents have encouraged them to think about an engineering career (Harris Interactive for the American Society for Quality, 2009).

As I think about each bullet point and we set off into a new year, I'm compelled to set a few goals. Choosing a career that makes you happy is pivotal to making a better world so we need to work hard to help students find their path. I'm only one person but I will work hard to:

* Inspire students to choose a career that fits their personality and makes a difference in the world.
* Find new and creative ways to teach students all that they can do with an engineering career.
* Find new ways to reward and recognize their accomplishments.

What are you going to do? What are your goals for the New Year? celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 3 Jan 2012 07:42:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2012/01/stats.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/11/gcposters.html This year's contest was the largest and most competitive event yet. Students from all over the U.S. submitted 301 entries that demonstrated their vision, insight into the future and ideas for motivating the next generation of engineers.

The judging this year was the most difficult that I had encountered. The posters were amazing and I must have gone through them a dozen times to try to narrow down the results. I was trying to limit the number of winners to only 10 but so many were so intriguing, thought-provoking and beautiful that I just couldn't do it. We ended up with 16 winners.

It's my opinion that if these posters truly represent the way these students are thinking, the future for engineering looks very good!

2011 Winners
First Place - Anna Hershey, Portage Lakes Career Center
Second Place - Danielle Rikard, Arlington, TX
Third Place (2 winners) - Anna Sklenar, Conard High School and Kristin Baltimore, Southwest TN Community College
Honorable Mention - Ryan Charles, Atkins High School
Honorable Mention - Amanda Holl, Santa Clara University
Honorable Mention - Laura Morris - Southwest TN Community College
Honorable Mention - Rachel Welch - St. Thomas More High School
Honorable Mention - Katherine Chen - University of Maryland, College Park
Honorable Mention - Alyssa Ingram - Purdue University
Honorable Mention - Jake Schinella - Purdue University
Honorable Mention - Anna Hershey - Portage Lakes Career Center (2 posters)
Honorable Mention - Nicole Guysick - Portage Lakes Career Center
Honorable Mention - Jason Rodkey - Portage Lakes Career Center
Honorable Mention - Shane DeVerny - Portage Lakes Career Center

View all of the 2011 winning posters here: http://www.engineeringedu.com/store/gcposterset.html celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:40:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/11/gcposters.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/11/msgs.html Attention middle school girls! Last Saturday I conducted my fifth Mother Daughter TEA training so a special day doing engineering projects with your Mom is becoming more accessible all over the country. Your Mom will learn first-hand all that you can do with an engineering education and you will be inspired to do great things in the world! By the end of the day, you will feel positive about engineering and technological careers, have solved all kinds of problems, learned about women s contributions to the world of engineering, and had fun too!

If you want to have this kind of special day with your Mom, ask your teacher to attend our next available training in Seattle this Spring. http://www.engineeringedu.com/pw/teatraining.html celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:20:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/11/msgs.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/10/eyl.html A great site worth exploring is called Engineer Your Life - a guide to engineering careers for high school girls. Here, you can explore what life and work are like for engineers, see videos of inspiring engineers, and read descriptions of dream engineering jobs. According to EngineerYourLife.org, 10 great reasons you ll love engineering are:

1. Love your work and live your life too  Engineering is an exciting profession, but one of its greatest advantages is that it will leave you time for all the other things in your life that you love!
2. Be creative  Engineering is a great outlet for the imagination and the perfect field for independent thinkers.
3. Work with great people  Engineering takes teamwork, and you ll work with all kinds of people inside and outside the field. Whether they re designers or architects, doctors or entrepreneurs, you ll be surrounded by smart, inspiring people.
4. Solve problems, design things that matter  Come up with solutions no one else has thought of. Make your mark on the world. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:25:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/10/eyl.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/10/5minutes.html Say you only have five minutes to talk to a student and convince them that engineering is the way to go. What do you say?

Before you answer, remember your audience. You are probably talking to a Millennial so keep in mind that Millennials are altruistic, tech saavy, and enjoy working in teams and collaborating.

Here's a few examples of comments I ve heard lately from students:

"I was on a robotics team in high school but don't think there are any jobs in robotics."
This can be a great segway into many altruistic careers. Equipped with the proper sensors, robots can inspect the quality of meat, measure the pollution emissions of manufacturing plants, assist in surgery, detect corrosion in sewer pipes, investigate the depths of a volcano, save people from burning buildings, explore underwater "problems" or assess the speed of a tornado. Robots can improve our standard of living and give us more information about our planet or even the solar system. Robots are the future and increasing in popularity as we learn to program them with extended capabilities.

"I want to major in psychology."
There's a great profile on the USA Science and Engineering Festival website about a woman in the field of social robotics (Dr. Cynthia Breazeal) that is working on giving a robot a personality. In her lab, one such project (called Playtime Computing) involves creating a virtual reality play environment for children in which they can interact in real time with computer graphic characters, including a robot named "Alfie," in interactive play and story-telling situations. In this setting, children, using simple tools available in the project's 3D system, can imbue the characters with different characteristics, thereby enhancing the interaction for kids in meaningful ways. http://www.usasciencefestival.org/theniftyfiftybios

To be continued... celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:41:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/10/5minutes.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/09/iq.html Our high school had an IQ test day. I remember the fanfare leading up to the day. Special people were coming to the school to administer the test, the principal offered free pizza after the test, and students were joking with each other about the scores they might or might not get.

As the day got closer, everyone seemed to get excited, the promise of pizza for lunch was like a beacon in the night for many students. When the day finally arrived, I did what any self-preserving, blue-sky thinking student would do, I skipped school. I knew I would get in trouble but the trouble I would face if I took the test was worse. I saw an IQ test as life changing and not for the better.

At the time, I wanted to be an engineer but thought I wasn't smart enough. I wasn't getting A's in science and math and most teachers and guidance counselors said I wasn't meant to be an engineer. I could also tell that my parents thought I might not be able to do it even though they never said that. It seemed to me that an IQ test could prove that everyone was right. It was an opportunity to have my dreams squashed and equated to a living nightmare. I couldn t agree to help "the system" put me in a box or define my potential with a test.

What kind of world would we have if everyone simply believed they could be anything they wanted? If we didn't measure ourselves by test scores but instead by our accomplishments, what we did well or liked to do, or our innate ability? I especially enjoy and promote hands-on learning for the chance to develop and explore parts of yourself that no written test could ever measure. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:36:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/09/iq.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/09/support.html Support what you believe in.

In the last month, I've seen two major chain department stores sending shameful and demeaning messages to young women.

1. Forever 21 was advertising a shirt with the caption, "Allergic to Algebra".
2. JC Penny had a shirt with the caption, "I m too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me."

I thought we had moved out of the dark ages! If anyone has been wondering why it is such an uphill battle to get and keep girls interested in engineering, computer and technology fields, you now have part of your answer.

Diane Matt, the Executive Director and CEO of the Women in Engineering Proactive Network (WEPAN), in a letter to Forever 21, put it succinctly. She said, "The message on your shirt is damaging to young women who are interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Today only 18% of U.S. engineering students are women compared to many other fields where women make up 50% or more of the students.

Our country needs diversity in science and engineering fields. Mathematics is a gateway to these careers and today young men and young women take advanced placement mathematics in equal numbers in the United States. "Allergic to Algebra" perpetuates an outmoded, incorrect stereotype that is damaging to women your customers and our students.

I respectfully request expeditious removal and destruction of this item."

To the best of my knowledge, because of letters like this and complaints from people all over the world, both shirts have been removed from inventory.

Remember that you have choices where you shop and you also have a voice. In this age of social networking, it is easier than ever to let a big chain store know how you feel. If we ever hope to change this type of advertising and thinking, you have to do something when you see the wrong message. Write a letter, join in the conversation or movement on Facebook, do not support companies that do not care, and in the case of these shirts, talk to the girls in your life about the misguided message. The important thing is that you do something. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 13 Sep 2011 07:46:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/09/support.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/09/3rdedition.html I have exciting news to share this week! My very first book, "Is There an Engineer Inside You?" Is being released in an updated and completely revised edition. To be exact, this is the third edition. It now covers 32 different types of engineering, how to succeed in engineering school, women and minorities in engineering, engineering careers that make you say "wow!", how much money engineers make and much more. This book is the best reference on engineering careers in the marketplace (I may be a little biased but it's better than everything else that I have seen).

I wrote the first edition when I was in engineering school. It was the book I wished I'd had when making the decision to go to school. I wrote it because I wanted my fellow students to know what they were getting into and have a clear idea about all the amazing pathways that engineers could follow. Making a lot of money was such a popular reason to go to engineering school that I worried my friends would drop out when things got hard (technically and emotionally). I thought that my reference book would help provide a stronger foundation and offer more compelling reasons for choosing an engineering education. Given the popularity of the first two editions, I like to think that it's helping thousands of students.

To celebrate this momentous occasion I have several opportunities:
1. Sitting here are stacks of 40% off coupons for this new third edition. If you want to give them out to your clubs, teams or students; slip them inside conference bags or include with giveaways, just let me know and I'll send you a stack.
2. For every educator that orders this new edition, you will also receive a PowerPoint presentation that you can use in class to explain about engineering careers. It's colorful, engaging, and designed to save you time.
3. Last but not least, I will provide a free presentation or workshop at your conference, meeting, or event for every group or organization that orders at least 160 of these books.

Please join my celebration! "Is There an Engineer Inside You?" was the start of it all. Without this book, the Engineering Education Service Center wouldn't exist and I would be doing something else with my life. It makes a great gift for the future engineer in your life and should be included in every classroom or school library. You can't go wrong, every student will find something useful within the pages.

Check it out - you can read the reviews, see the table of contents and preview part of chapter one online. Stay tuned, more opportunities are coming soon.... celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 13 Sep 2011 07:46:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/09/3rdedition.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/contest.htm "Grand Challenges for Engineering" is the theme for the Engineering Education Service Center's 7th Annual poster contest. This year's winning entry can be found in a display of inspiration, excitement, wonder and curiosity. Posters should be fun, motivational and inspire students to pursue a degree in engineering, technology, math and/or science.

Throughout human history, engineering has driven the advance of civilization. In the last century, engineering recorded its grandest accomplishments. The widespread development and distribution of electricity and clean water, automobiles and airplanes, radio and television, spacecraft and lasers, antibiotics and medical imaging, and computers and the Internet are just some of the highlights from a century in which engineering revolutionized and improved virtually every aspect of human life.

For all of these advances, though, the century ahead poses formidable challenges. As the population grows and its needs and desires expand, the problem of sustaining civilization's continuing advancement, while still improving the quality of life, is more immediate. Old and new threats to personal and public health demand more effective and more readily available treatments. Vulnerabilities to pandemic diseases, terrorist violence, and natural disasters require serious searches for new methods of protection and prevention. And products and processes that enhance the joy of living remain a top priority of engineering innovation.

Applying the rules of reason, the findings of science, the aesthetics of art, and the spark of creative imagination, engineers will continue the tradition of forging a better future.

There are 12 Grand Challenges for Engineers - Find out more about them by visiting: http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996.aspx

Contest deadline: 11:59pm November 4, 2011

Winners will be notified by November 14, 2010

To enter, visit: http://www.engineeringedu.com/contest.htm

Download a flyer: http://www.engineeringedu.com/EESCPosterContestFall11.pdf

View the 2005-2010 winning posters here: http://www.engineeringedu.com/store/posters.html celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:25:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/contest.htm http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/08/posterbliss.html We started our poster contest back in 2004. As you probably know, students have shown their wizardry, genius and knowledge of engineering careers by designing truly amazing posters each and every year. Within each theme, you can see their insight, understanding and appreciation of engineering careers.

We have over 80 posters in our store now and I have found that it is getting harder to look them over and choose which ones will make the best impression or have the most impact. As a result, I changed the Posters page (http://www.engineeringedu.com/store/posters.html) so that you can see all of them at one time. If you move your mouse over a poster, it is supposed to enlarge so that you can take a better look. There are also checkboxes so that you can checkmark all of the ones you like and then send them all to the shopping cart at one time. No more back and forth trying to figure out which posters you already have or which ones will inspire your students this upcoming school year.

If this works out, I will eventually put this system in place throughout the site to make your shopping experience better and more efficient (after all, that's what engineers do - they make our lives better). Your feedback is always appreciated.

Stay tuned for our 2011 poster contest announcement next week. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:35:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/08/posterbliss.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/08/everyone.html There is something for everyone in engineering. It's one of my favorite things about these degrees. If you want to spend your days inventing, you can do that. Problem-solving, designing, testing, sketching, writing, presenting or being plain resourceful, you can do that too. There are so many pathways within engineering and engineering technology, we often overlook the fact that so many people have also used engineering as a launching pad to become doctors, attorneys, CEOs, CFOs, financial analysts, astronauts, teachers and politicians.

The point is - when you get that engineering degree - you can write your own ticket to have the life that you want. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:46:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/08/everyone.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/08/attributes.html Engineering is so much more than just being a brain. The stereotypes surrounding the engineering profession can sometimes be a turn-off for students. We need to emphasize that a well-rounded personality is a great attribute to becoming a highly valued and esteemed engineer. To solve the problems of increased population, accelerated global economy, made to order products and environments, health and health care delivery, security, public policy and the public understanding of engineering, the engineer of 2020 will need the following attributes (NAE, 2005):

Analytical skills
Practical ingenuity
Creativity
Communication and teamwork skills
Business and management skills
High ethical standards
Professionalism
Leadership, including bridging public policy and technology
Dynamism/agility/resilience/flexibility
Lifelong learning inclinations

A bachelor s degree in engineering gives a broad knowledge base and leads to a multitude of opportunities. Engineers with a tendency towards right and left brain thinking who are comfortable assessing and taking risks are on the cutting edge in industry, research, consulting, management, teaching, sales, business, and government. Engineering can require a tremendous amount of time and effort, but as technology continues to develop, the need for engineers will increase too. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 02 Aug 2011 08:30:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/08/attributes.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/06/niftyfifty.html I'm pleased to announce that I am one of the Nifty Fifty! The USA Science and Engineering Festival (USASEF - www.usasciencefestival.com ) is the largest celebration of science and engineering in the US and the Nifty Fifty (times 2) are the one hundred most inspiring science/engineering professionals will help re-invigorate the interest of our young people, by going into one Greater D.C. School (including Maryland and Northern Virginia) to present to one local high school assembly in Spring 2012.

I was nominated by McGraw Hill and will join speakers such as: NIH Director Francis Collins, MacArthur Genius Bonnie Bassler, AAAS President Alan Leshner, Hollywood Special Effects Physicist Jim Kakalios, AIDS Researcher Anthony Fauci, Titanic discoverer David Gallo, and former migrant worker and now leading neurosurgeon Alfredo Quinones and 20 Nobel Laureates. See the following link for a complete list:

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2012festival/schoolprograms/niftyfifty

and

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2012festival/schoolprograms/lunchwithalaureate

I'm honored and excited about the opportunity!

Here's a link describing the Nifty Fifty Program in further detail. Hope to see you at the festival!

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/2012festival/schoolprograms/nominateniftyfifty celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Wed, 15 Jun 2011 16:02:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/06/niftyfifty.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/06/okisok.html Last month, when the stars aligned and the birds began singing, I flew out to Lawton, Oklahoma for a dynamic, engaging and ultimately outstanding Mother/Daughter TEA training - 12 schools from across the state and one person from out of state were represented with over 20 attendees. Twelve toolkits were sent home for the now certified trainers (teachers and career tech and district administrators) to hold their own workshops across the state to recruit students for their pre-engineering and biomedical programs. Career tech is extensive throughout Oklahoma. A similar situation in Washington State resulted in increased enrollment for PLTW classes so I have high hopes for the movement that is taking place in Oklahoma. Stay tuned next year for the results.

I have just begun working on my training calendar for next school year so if you are interested in becoming a Certified Trainer and can round up at least 12 people, I will come to you. Just drop me an email and let me know you are interested. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:35:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/06/okisok.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/04/sunny.html As many of you know, in January, I moved to Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound. I found a beautiful place on three acres and it seemed like a dream come true. However, as winter marched on, I began questioning my decision. The snow and cold temperatures kept me inside.

Everything in life is a compromise and we all have an internal scale of compromises that we are willing to make. This winter, I found that I was compromising warmth for beauty. If I functioned better in the cold, this wouldn t be an issue. But I m not that person. Several times, I have been ready to pack it up and head South.

In this journey to promote engineering careers I ve met people from all over the world that have all kinds of careers. Many tell me about their math phobia or a terrible teacher or lament about how they didn t have the right encouragement. I ve been continually surprised by the outpouring of personal stories and obstacles.

Yesterday, here on the island, the sun finally came out and I was awed by the vibrant colors and gorgeous views. The day was so nice that I completely forgot about the past several months of cold. Suddenly, I was getting what I came for.

A student s educational journey is very similar. Sometimes they struggle with a teacher, or the subject. Sometimes the grass is greener elsewhere. But when those students come together for an engineering event, camp, competition or contest, the sun comes out and that entire struggle is suddenly diminished. Anyone who has been to a robotics competition knows exactly what I m talking about. The excitement and intensity of the teamwork, the problem-solving, the strategic maneuvers  it s contagious and often breath-taking as robot lives hang in the balance.

We all know that an engineering education is difficult and a struggle sometimes  we just also need to let the sun shine (A.K.A. hands-on activities, contests, real world connections, high levels of engagement, teamwork and technology) to motivate and help them get what they came for. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:22:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/04/sunny.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/03/reed.html Today, I'm happy to introduce you to an amazing person. His name is Reed Brockman and I believe he informally talks to more kids about engineering and engages more kids in engineering projects than anyone I've ever met. He is endlessly putting on events, running competitions and talking to teachers. Reed not only works as a Senior Structural Engineer and Inspection Specialist in Boston but he is also the Senior Vice-President of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers (BSCES) and the chair of its Committee on Public Awareness and Outreach. He co-founded ThinkFest, and founded the Ralph Salvucci Online Bridge Design Contest. The American Society of Civil Engineers has awarded him the Edmund Freeman Award for Professional Recognition, and the BSCES has given him the Citizen Engineer and the President s Award. He is a one-of-a-kind advocate for engineering.

I met Reed back in 2005 and we stayed in touch over the years because we have the same mission. He has written a book about careers in Civil Engineering that will surely make you see civil engineering in a new light. I loved it so much that I wrote a Foreword for it and I know you will love it too. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:45:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/03/reed.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/03/helpful.html In the wake of the disaster in Japan, many students may feel helpless and worried about the people that are struggling to find loved ones, get to shelter, and find food or water. If you are teaching engineering, you are in a good position to help them deal with their feelings.

On the Today show this morning, they said that the next big quake could be along the San Andreas fault in California (this fault line is completely on land so it would not trigger another tsunami). They also mentioned that the Cascadia fault off the entire West Coast is due for a tremor (this fault line is in the ocean so it would most likely cause a tsunami).

Because engineering is a way to make a difference in the world, here are a few ideas to get your students involved in infrastructure and disaster relief projects:
1. Your students can be tsunami engineers (this also works for hurricanes) as they try to design ways to protect people from the waves and water that crash onshore. Ideas I have heard from students include: vertical evacuation shelters, hovercrafts that can lift like helicopters, and Rocketman jetspacks. What else can they come up with?
2. Your students can work as structural engineers designing high rises, bridges or houses that can withstand earthquake forces.
3. Your students can work as industrial engineers planning how they would get food and water to millions of people in a devastated area. Or they can plan the most efficient way to get hurt people to a medical facility when the roads have been washed out or are blocked by debris.
4. Your students can work as telecommunications engineers that ensure cell phone networks can handle the load of everyone in a devastated area trying to make calls at the same time.

This is your chance to show students exactly how engineering is one of the most helpful careers they can pursue. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 14 Mar 2011 06:30:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/03/helpful.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/03/tulsa.html Last week, we had an excellent Mother/Daughter TEA training in Tulsa. The purpose of the Mother/Daughter TEA event is to introduce girls to engineering in a positive and supportive way. The model of having mother/daughter teams is based on the idea that once the girl's mother understands the wealth of opportunities in the engineering industry and sees that her daughter can do it, this will create a positive feedback system at home.

Many of the attendees were from the Tulsa Public School System (TPSS). If your school system is starting an engineering program and you are looking for a model, be sure you take a look at TPSS. When listening to how the district operates, the part of the system that struck a chord in me was their mentoring program. They have an engineering pipeline built from elementary all the way through high school. When the middle school holds engineering events or prepares for a competition, the high school students serve as mentors. When the elementary school holds engineering events, both the middle and high school students serve as mentors. This mentorship is a critical ingredient to getting girls into engineering. In general, if a girl can see another girl (especially one they admire) doing engineering or if an older girl encourages her mentee to be an engineer, the probability that the younger girl will take an engineering class is much greater.

TPSS also takes many different approaches to teaching engineering. Some schools participate in Project Lead the Way, the high school participates in both BEST and FIRST Robotics competitions, and the younger students participate in FIRST LEGO League (FLL) as a way to make engineering fun, interesting, and interactive.

There are going to be lots of girls in Tulsa that go into engineering!

The upcoming TEA training in Boston next month (registration deadline is March 17) is the last training event that I will hold this school year. All attendees will become Certified TEA Trainers. Certified TEA trainers are the only people that are allowed to hold Mother/Daughter TEA events in their communities. Not only does this save money for your school or organization, trainers are also eligible to receive TEA marketing posters and literature, resources for teaching engineering, and all activity supplies, prizes and other materials necessary to hold successful and engaging workshops. I hope to see you there. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 08 Mar 2011 05:30:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/03/tulsa.html http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/02/geny.html On a conference call last week, one of the women on the other end of the line said that she believes promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) is about making a better world.

I could not agree more. That statement gets to the very core of why I founded the Engineering Education Service Center and also fuels my never-ending quest to find more ways to reach students.

In the section, Generation Y  The Millennial Generation, from Generational Learning Styles by Julie Coates, she states that Generation Y s preferred learning environment combines teamwork and technology. She goes on to say that this generation is made up of confident, optimistic young people that feel valued and wanted. They are the most diverse generation in history, both ethnically and socially, and they have closer relationships with their parents.

To me, this was all music to my ears because it also means that there has never been a better time in the history of this country to promote engineering.

These students will thrive in hands-on and project based learning environments. They will appreciate having projects to take home to show their parents and also enjoy doing projects that promote social consciousness. We have all heard that a great way to promote engineering to girls is to make them see how they can make a difference in the world. According to the author, the socially conscious approach also works with boys  it just may take the boys longer to see the value.

If we, as educators, mentors, friends, parents and advocates want to make a better world by promoting STEM education, the time is now. celbaine@engineeringedu.com (Celeste Baine) Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:30:00 PST http://www.engineeringedu.com/celestes_blog/2011/02/geny.html