Spend a day introducing a girl to engineering. Coach or mentor a Future City team. Make slime and other cool stuff.

DiscoverE’s 66th annual Engineers Week is Feb. 19 – 25, 2017 and there are plenty of local events and hands-on activities – including Discover Engineering Family Fun Day at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., Feb. 18 – to raise awareness of what engineers do and how their work makes the world a healthier, safer place.

This year’s theme, Dream Big, coincides with the premiere of DREAM BIG: Engineering Our World, a spectacular big-screen odyssey from classic Roman arches to village bridges, towering skyscrapers, and the International Space Station.

Want to participate but don’t know how to start? Self-guided tutorials with PowerPoint slides and frequently asked questions help educators and volunteers lead kids through a successful engineering experience.

New this year: Teachers can live stream the Future City finals in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Watch live at futurecity.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/FutureCityCompetition/ Teachers also can live stream “engineering solutions” from the National Building Museum to their classrooms on Wednesday, Feb. 22 and Friday, Feb. 25.

Now in its second year, Global Day on April  5 brings together the international community to give students around the world a chance to experience engineering.

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.

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 (including 30 activities related to the DREAM BIG film), and other resources. Also check out ideas – and a free toolkit – for introducing engineering on Girl Day, which takes place Feb. 23, 2017.

Other sources for eWeek activities include Engineering is Elementary, the Museum of Science, Boston’s program. Download a poster showing the EiE Engineering Design Process, or try such fun, hands-on engineering activities as “Guess the Technology,” “Technology Tag,” “Tower Power,” and “Wind-Powered Vehicles.” There’s also an app that let’s you load EiE’s “Technology Flashcards” on your iPhone.

Filed under: K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features, Web Resources

Tags: DiscoverE, Energy, Events, Future City, Museums, National Building Museum, National Engineers Week 2017, Skyscrapers, STEM education, Web Resources