[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stJcsZ42UCs[/youtube]

National Engineers Week is Feb. 16 – 22, 2014 and there are plenty of local events and hands-on activities to raise awareness of what engineers do and how their work makes the world a healthier, safer place.

The week-long celebration is part of a broader effort to connect engineers and schools. Volunteers have coached  Future City teams, mentored students, and spoken at career days.

This year’s theme – Discover Engineering: Let’s Make A Difference – celebrates the accomplishments of  engineers, engineering students, and technicians and urges them to host events, visit classrooms, and “turn comments like ‘I didn’t know that’ into exclamations of ‘I want to do that!’ ”

The awards and recognition program also provides a way to celebrate great middle and high school STEM teachers. Nominations are due by March 13, 2014. Winners receive up to $2,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C., for the awards ceremony in June.

Looking for a way to make engineering come to life in your classroom? DiscoverE has a searchable library of free engineering and technology videos, hands-on activities, and other resources. Also check out the eWeek activities compiled by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Also check out ideas for introducing engineering on Girls Day,which takes place Feb. 20.

Filed under: For Teachers, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features, Web Resources

Tags: Class Activities, DiscoverE, eWeek, Introduce a Girl to Engineering, National Engineers Week, STEM education, STEM videos, Teacher Awards