ACEC Alaska Kicks Off Engineers Week, Engages Students in Engineering

As part of the critical workforce issues facing the entire industry and the efforts to engage more students in engineering, ACEC Alaska kicked off Engineers Week coordinating a partnership between the University of Alaska Anchorage and the local Anchorage School District to conduct three-part educational sessions in middle and high schools. Teachers requested the sessions and local engineers from the community filled the slots by volunteering to help teach. Over thirty teachers requested the lessons, and the state organization filled all the requests.

The first lesson focused on an overview of civil engineering, structural engineering, bridge types, truss types, joints, compression, tension, etc. The second lesson focused on designing the bridge (drawn to scale on graph paper, elevation view, plan view, materials lists, weight estimate, etc.), and the third lesson was constructing the bridges. Each bridge will compete in the bridge competition during E-Week.

Photo Caption:  Aaron Christie of DOWL Engineers guides students during the third lesson on construction.

How is your firm celebrating E-Week? Send us your events and/or your photos. We’re excited to share what our members are doing.