Engineers Week 2017 Begins in Just Over a Week

Feb. 10, 2017

Engineers Week, the annual celebration of engineers and all they contribute to society, kicks off in nine days. While it may be starting in just over a week, there are still a number of ways to participate in one of the many activities that make up the weeklong event.

Two popular Engineers Week programs taking place in Washington, D.C. — Family Day and the Future City Competition finals — will both celebrate their 25th anniversaries during Engineers Week 2017, which will take place from Feb. 19 to 25. Other Engineers Week activities scheduled for this year include Girl Day, the announcement of the New Faces of Engineering finalists, and the premiere of a new motion picture about engineers and the work they do titled Dream Big.

Engineers Week is organized by DiscoverE and sponsored this year by ASCE and the DiscoverE Leadership Council, which includes Bechtel, Bentley Systems, ExxonMobil, Lockheed Martin, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), the Northrop Grumman Foundation, Shell Oil, and TE Connectivity.

DiscoverE Family Day, which will take place a day before the official start of Engineers Week, is an entertaining and educational daylong event designed to introduce students under the age of 12 to the wonders of engineering and the importance of technological literacy. The event, which will be held on Feb. 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the National Building Museum, is expected to attract thousands of children, teachers and parents from the area surrounding the nation’s capital. Nearly 30 Family Day exhibitors are scheduled to present thought-provoking hands-on activities demonstrating basic engineering principles. The event, now in its 25th year, will also feature various special engineering and science demonstrations that will take place throughout the day. To learn more, visit www.engineeringfamilyday.org/about-defd/discover-engineering-family-day-overview.

Another Engineers Week favorite, the Future City Competition, is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The competition challenges middle-school students to research, design and build a scale model of a city of the future using Sim City software. The winners of the regional rounds of the competition go on to present their entries to a panel of judges at the final match in Washington, D.C., which will take place Feb. 21. This year, the judging panel includes ASME Past President Bob Sims and his wife, Linda, who will also present a special ASME Best Futuristic City award to one of the teams. Future City organizers are still looking for engineers to serve as judges for the event. If you’re interested in helping out, visit http://futurecity.org/register.

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Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, also known as Girl Day, is a worldwide campaign to introduce girls to the exciting world of engineering. Thousands of engineers and educators are expected to participate in the program, which takes place on Feb. 23, in an effort to teach young women about engineering and the contributions engineers make to the public. To learn more about Girl Day, or to sign up to become a Girl Day role model, visit www.discovere.org/our-programs/girl-day.

Another regular feature of Engineers Week is the announcement of the finalists for the Professional and College Editions of DiscoverE’s New Faces of Engineering program. New Faces-Professional Edition spotlights the innovative work of early career engineers up to the age of 30 and their impact on society, while New Faces-College Edition recognizes engineering students for their academic success and service to the community. ASME’s three candidates for each of the New Faces categories will be announced in the Feb. 24 edition of ASME News. The official winners in each category will be announced by DiscoverE in early April. To learn more about the New Faces program, visit www.discovere.org/our-programs/awards-and-recognition.

New this year to Engineers Week is the debut of a new IMAX and giant-screen motion picture, Dream Big, which explores engineering marvels such as the world’s tallest building and robots that operate underwater through interviews with the engineers who helped create them. The 40-minute film, which will be shown at museums and science centers across North America beginning Feb. 17, is designed to promote the importance of engineering and inspire young people of all backgrounds to consider careers in engineering and become the world’s next generation of innovators. To find out where and when Dream Big is showing in your area, visit http://www.dreambigfilm.com/theatres for locations and show times.

DiscoverE’s celebration of engineering doesn’t end on Feb. 25. The Global Marathon, to take place March 8 and 9, is a free, virtual event focusing on women in engineering and technology. More than 2,400 registrants from 80 different countries took part in last year’s event. This year’s Global Marathon will encompass a number of exciting, interactive sessions exploring topics including the impact of mentoring, engineering entrepreneurship, and engineers working outside of the traditional engineering field. For more information on the Global Marathon, or to register, visit www.discovere.org/our-programs/global-marathon.

To learn more about Engineers Week’s entire schedule of programs, visit www.discovere.org/our-programs/engineers-week.