Legislators Celebrate National Engineers Week with New EWeek Resolution

This past week was National Engineers Week (EWeek), a week dedicated to highlighting the innovative contributions to society engineers provide. The event takes place every year over a week in February; the theme of this year’s event was “Engineers: Invent Amazing.“ Founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, EWeek is now run by DiscoverE, a coalition of more than 100 organizations that support the engineering profession. DIscoverE’s additional initiatives include Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day and Global Day of the Engineer. The main goals of EWeek are to:

• Celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world
• Increase public dialogue about the need for engineers
• Bring engineering to life for kids, educators and parents

These goals are carried out through a variety of classroom initiatives at the K-12 level, including activities that support equal access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to all students.

In honor of Engineers Week, Rep. Daniel Lipinksi (D-IL), one of a few engineers in congress, recently introduced a resolution to the House of Representatives titled, H.R. 130- Supporting the goals and ideals of Engineers Week. The resolution notes that “only around 4 percent of the Nation’s workforce is comprised of scientists and engineers, yet this group disproportionately creates jobs for the other 96 percent” and resolves that the House of Representatives:

1. Supports the goals and ideals of Engineers Week to increase understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers and to promote technological literacy and engineering education;
2. Recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM education and essential to improving the United States educational system and economic prosperity; and
3. Ensures that technological solutions designed by the engineering community can be advanced through research, development, standardization, and innovation

For further information on EWeek, click here: http://www.discovere.org/our-programs/engineers-week

To view the full text of H.R. 130, click here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/130/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R+460%22%5D%7D