One week out of the year we dedicate to celebrating our society’s unsung heroes – engineers.
An engineer’s work affects everything we do, yet it’s often taken for granted. While we are perhaps too often enamored of celebrity athletes and entertainers, this month we focus on the true heroes, the ones who ensure our quality of life with things like shelter, heat, transportation, and water. These heroes continue to protect, to save, to enhance countless lives each day, including during extreme weather events such as the recent Anchorage earthquake, where seismic design prevented headlines in the media about collapsed buildings and lives lost.
To spotlight engineering, DiscoverE, an ASCE partner, promotes Engineers Week once a year. The week is filled with events to inspire students, educators, and parents – to show them the remarkable things that engineers contribute to the world. It’s only fitting that this year’s theme is “Invent Amazing.”
There are many ways to celebrate the profession, these are just a few:
Future City Competition – Feb. 19, 2019
This project-based learning program gathers sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students from around the nation to imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future. Teams spend four months to create solutions for a citywide sustainability issue that exists at least 100 years in the future. Students are encouraged to participate even if they’re not competing so that they can showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills. Finals are held in Washington, DC. Learn more about Future City.
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day – Feb. 21, 2019
Girl Day is a growing movement to inspire girls’ futures, so they learn that they have a place in engineering a better world. You can make a difference by sharing your knowledge and experience. Sign up to become a Girl Day Role Model and encourage the next generation to explore this exciting and rewarding field. You can also inspire wonder and host a Girls Night Out event to show the girls in your community what careers in engineering look like. Learn more about Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.
The celebrations don’t have to end there. Continue inspiring the next generation of engineers all year round. Your Section, Branch, Younger Member Forum/Group, or Student Chapter can show their commitment with the resources that ASCE provides. Showcase the great things that engineers do every day for our society and start a civil engineering club or speak to a classroom of students in your area. Whether you’re an engineer, teacher, parent, or student, ASCE gives you the tools to reach out and educate those around you.
We rely on engineers 24/7 and 365. Be sure to recognize and celebrate the heroes who never take a break from protecting our health, safety, and welfare this Engineers Week.
Don’t miss these other ways ASCE is working for you:
New early-career resources site will help you get ahead
Getting your career off to a good start can feel daunting. ASCE’s Career by Design, a new online portal for young civil engineers, can build your confidence. Society members gain access to a wealth of targeted content, tools, tips, and opportunities for advancement. Plug in and charge your career.
Find a mentor or be a mentor with ASCE Mentor Match
Another new benefit program for 2019 brings civil engineers together for professional growth. Mentor Match pairs you with an expert who can guide you in the right direction. Get involved today.
ASCE’s president will help you better understand engineering ethics
Learn more about the world of civil engineering ethics in a live, interactive webinar led by 2019 President Robin Kemper. Join her Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET (11 a.m.-noon PT). Sign up to take part.
Get ready for an online interview that could transform your career
ASCE, along with other associations, will be hosting a virtual career fair targeted toward engineering and science professionals. Candidates and prospective employers talk with each other live online. Keep your schedule free on Wednesday, March 6, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET (8 a.m.-noon PT) and register today.
Want to make a career move but lacking the nerve?
Sometimes the riskiest move is not making one. In the latest ASCE Interchange, Thalia Valkanos, E.I.T., A.M.ASCE, a project engineer at CMA Engineers Inc. and former legislative correspondent in the U.S. Senate, shares her story on how embracing risk early in her career led her to success. Watch it now.
Love bridges? Submit a photo to the 2019 Bridges Photo Contest
Do you have a favorite bridge? Submit your awesome image of it to the ASCE Bridges Photo Contest, open now through March 31, and you could win a cash prize. First- and second-place winners in each of seven categories get $250 and $200 respectively. Find out how to win at ascebridgephotos.org.
