020415-Cherrington-lo

[Image above] Outreach opportunities, like Science Night demos at a local elementary school, and Engineers Week 2015 provide increased opportunities to promote ceramic and glass materials and the people who work with these materials. Credit: Cherrington Elementary School; Westerville City School District

Outreach has always been a big part of ACerS mission.

Advancing the study, understanding, and use of ceramic and related materials starts with providing the youngest members of society and the Society with opportunities for awareness, learning, and networking.

From materials science kits and science fairs, to connecting students with industry through networking lunches and the launch of the Ceramic and Glass Industry Foundation, our drive to champion these unique materials and the people who work with them is more resolute than ever before. (Click here to read about ACerS involvement in the Ohio Region Future City Competition).

Likewise, bringing awareness to the work of our members—people who discover, research, and test the materials that impact our everyday lives—is also a top priority.

We’ll reinforce that commitment next week when we stop to celebrate Engineers Week 2015, February 22–28. “E week,” founded in 1951, is organized by DiscoverE Engineering, which traces its history back to the National Society of Professional Engineers.

According to the DiscoverE website, the week is a chance to “celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world, increase public dialogue about the need for engineers; and bring engineering to life for kids, educators, and parents.”

It’s also a chance to recognize DiscoverE’s other programs—like the Future City Competition and Girl Day (February 26) programs—that target specific subsets (middle school students and girls, respectively) and expose them to careers and opportunities in engineering.

Their website provides some resources on ways to get involved with Engineers Week 2015, as well as effective ways to present engineering and tools and videos for promoting the week among your network.

How do you plan on marking the week? Share a photo from your celebration by posting it to our Facebook page or tweeting it to @acersnews.

Share/Print