SUMMARY
My name is Marianne A. Musella and I am a Chemical Engineer, SWE Life Member and the Project Manager of Super Engineering Saturday. This project was sponsored by Adele Cardenas, Vice President of Student Services of SWE and funded by a grant from SWE and the Exxon Education Foundation. The New York Section received notification of grant approval on June 25 during the 1998 Houston Convention and received the check and funding letter September 4, 1998.
Super Engineering Saturday was a pilot program that explored engineering through engineers’ short lectures, hands-on workshops, super science demonstrations and video presentations. Stakeholders included engineers, teachers, students and parents from the Homeschool Community and Girl Scout Communities . Participants were invited to attend by promotional mailings. Over 150 students, parents, educators, engineers and volunteers participated in the program.
Super Engineering Saturday began with an introduction to engineering and video, a super science demonstration by one of the top Science Educators in New Jersey. Students and parents then participated in two workshops or sessions on engineering topics. We grouped the students by age and ran 7 simultaneous sessions. All sessions were led by an engineer. Lunch was accompanied by videos, handouts and demonstrations of science kits. The afternoon included a raffle of science kits, school supplies, books and engineering tools and another demonstration by Dan Weissman, 1999 recipient of a Presidential Science Teaching Award. The afternoon closed with a final session.
Parents and students were given customized evaluation forms for the day. About 40% of the students and 25% of the parents returned their evaluation forms. All the students and parents enjoyed and were satisfied with Super Engineering Saturday and would come back next year. The students rated 73% of the instructors and “great”, 9% as “cool”, and 18% and “OK”. Super Science Demonstrations were rated “great” by the students. At the end of the day many parents came to me to volunteer for next year. Most of the people who were unable to attend asked me if we would have another day next year. Overall, Super Engineering Saturday had a very positive effect on those who participated.
| SUMMARY OF EXPENSES FOR SUPER ENGINEERING SATURDAY | |
| JUNE 5, 1999 | |
| DESCRIPTION | TOTAL |
| Professional Services | 700.00 |
| Travel | 457.15 |
| School Rental | 1056.66 |
| Meals | 824.94 |
| Equipment and Supplies | 3502.94 |
| publications | 1237.73 |
| Distribution | 1191.14 |
| TOTAL | 8970.56 |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary - A "Super Engineering Saturday" for children from ages 6 to 14 would enlighten and inform young minds of the enormous opportunities of engineering careers in the next millennium. Stakeholders in this new program include homeschoolers, girl scouts, student teachers, parents, SWE and other engineering society members, the general public and the press.
Within a University setting, the Super Engineering Saturday will include live science and engineering demonstrations, hands-on workshops, educational materials and posters, engineering mentoring, career counciling and exhibits. Children will be exposed to thought provoking engineering projects representing 5 engineering disciplines including civil, chemical, mechanical, electrical and aerospace.
With an estimated one million homeschoolers in the United States alone, this group represents parents dedicated to their children’s education and children enthusiastic about learning. Most homeschooling families have limited economic resources and would benefit from the exposure to a free, high quality, engineering experience.
Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's largest organization for girls, with over 2.5 million enrolled. They bring together girls from “different racial, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds, girls with varying levels of physical and mental abilities”. These girls would benefit from exposure to women and men engineering role models and an engineering program outside the scope of their engineering badge.
Description - The Super Engineering Saturday will begin in the Rider University Student Center Theater with a participative engineering quiz, live demonstrations by Dan Weissman and a short film. The children will then attend small group workshops on the 5 engineering themes, civil, electrical, chemical, mechanical and aerospace. An exhibit, engineering handouts and role models will be available throughout the day. Older children may attend career counseling sessions.
Benefits - The tangible benefits include: a Blueprint of a Super Engineering Saturday, 300 children, their parents, future teachers, scout leaders, the press and general public will have an increased awareness of SWE, Rider and career opportunities in engineering.
Project Manager: Marianne A. Musella
(609)-466-3565
e-mail: mmusella@aol.com
PO Box 84,
Hopewell, NJ 08525
Engineering Manager: Cherly Litman; Active Minds
(732)-356-2237
e-mail: cheryllitman@juno.com (
Project Life - The delivery date is being negotiated with representatives from Rider University and is anticipated to be in November, 1998.
TO DO LIST
AGENDA
One of the key elements is to set the date and agenda for the event. Sessions can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours depening on what you plan to do in the session. Remember that the younger students have shorter attention spans. Plan out a sample agenda. Allow time for breaks and lunch.
DEMONSTRATIONS
Demonstrations are a wonderful way to introduce students to the world of science and engineering. They can range from simple such as an alka seltzer rocket (film canister, 1/2 alka seltzer tablet, drop of water), to very elaborate such as a bubble fountain, (dry ice, liquid soap and water). Many universities and laboratories have outreach programs which will supply volunteers to demonstrate scientific and chemical properties. After school and continuing education programs may have independent science educators you can hire as demonstrators. The local library should have books on science demonstrations and experiments.
Dan Weisman, a sixth grade science teacher and entrepreneur, has been doing demonstrations for many years. He wears a shirt with the periodic table on it and points out the elements that are involved in the chemical reactions he sets up. Dan purchases some of his materials from the Edmunds Scientific Catalog. Other sources of prepackaged science kits that may be used in demonstrations include “education type” toy stores like Learningsmith and Zany Brainy.
SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS
Half of the engineers that volunteered for Super Engineering Saturday wanted to prepare their own workshops. They used materials from their job and discussed recent assignmaents. Some prepared elaborate workshops with a lot of hands-on activities. Some just lectured for 45 minutes. Others used prepared materials and curriculum. The students seem to like hands-on activities more than lectures. Parents that attended enjoyed the lectures more.
All the sessions were held in classrooms with an engineer, usually an assistant, students and some parents. A ratio of one adult to five childern is good for younger students. Keeping students in a classroom rather than a large room with many activities minimizes the distraction to students.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are needed to help plan, organize and work at the event. Letters of solicitation can go to friends, co-workers, your SWE section, SWE student sections in your area, other local engineering organizations and companies and local universities. A sample solicitation letter is attached in the appendix.
VIDEOS
We reviewed several of the Career Guidance Videos in SWE’s Collection. We also looked at videos available from ASME and in our local library. Here’s what we used.
“Bridges?”, “Tunnels?”, “Skyscrapers?”, and “Spaceships?”, are videos available from Popular Mechanics for Kids in their How Do They Build Series. They are geared for young children under 10. They show construction sights and explain some of the engineering involved in the design and construction of bridges, etc. They are available at the website for Popular Mechanics or from educational children’s stores like Learningsmith or Zany Brainy. The sound quality is not great but the scenes are actucal construction sites.
Three videos on Civil Engineering were developed by The University of Arkansas. The tape contains all 3 videos about civil engineering designed for K-12 grades depending on which video you show. “Check It Out” is for new readers, “Make It Happen” is for middle schoolers and “Back To The Future, Please” is for high schoolers.
“Engineering Is For Everyone” was distributed by the National Engineers Week Committee, was produced by ASME and is appropriate for K to 5th grade. The video is available at SWE Headquarters. Our elementary school teacher chose it as the best video in SWE’s collection for Super Engineering Saturday. The complaint we had about this video is that the young girl who narrates it has a shrill voice and the sound quality was not very good. It shows young children, and engineers at work. The message you get is engineers are curious people who take things apart to learn about them and who like to play games and solve puzzles.
“Mothers of Invention” was produced by ASME for K to 5th grade and is available at SWE Headquarters. The video shows a diversity of inventors including women, children, Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics and Orientals. It says that necessity fosters invention and that America fosters opportunity. The video probably should have been named “Parents of Invention” because the book Mothers of Invention, which preceeded this video, is about women inventors only. Anyone ordering this video would naturally expect it was about the book and only about women.
“The Dream Begins With You” was produced by SWE Eastern Washington Section, is appropriate for Jr. High to High school and is available from SWE Headquarters. It begins with a career day and then shows a video with many women engineers in different careers from electrical to aerospace to civil who talk about their careers and interests. It shows that you can balance a career and family and fun. This video is good for high school students. It uses simple language. It uses music and is very upbeat and interesting.
PRODUCT
The product is your activity. If funded by the SWE-Exxon Grant, it is probably a “new product”. Consider that you are introducing this product. You must get your clients, potential participants in the activity to “buy your product”. They don’t know what the product is or why they should buy it. Since most Americans are not aware of waht engineers do, your job is to introduce them to engineering.
First identify your product; what is included in your activity. What are the benefits of your product. Why would someone want to buy your product (attend you activity).
PROMOTION
It takes more time to promote a “new product” than and “old product”. You will need to do personal selling (speaking directly to potential participants), advertising (bulk mailings to potential participants) and publicity (press releases).
Personal selling of the event began in September at the Hopewell Harvest Day, a large community event. We approached many Girl Scout Troops and met the coordinator for the Hopewell area. We distributed informational flyers anouncing the event and how to be put on the mailing list. We spoke at the Homeschooling Support Network parents meetings and distributed flyers and had articles published in their bi-monthly newsletter.
Once a date was finalized we published information on our Section Web Site. It noted how to sign up for the event. E-mail was used extensively in promotional efforts. ENOCH, a large Christian Homeschooling group received and distributed information and sign-up forms by e-mail. We accepted several registrations by e-mail.
An important piece of advertising was our tri-fold. It included the who, what, when, where, and why of the event. Additional items in the tri-fold were why attend, why engineering, did you know (information about engineering), famous engineers, SWE Mission Statement, and how to register.
Our advertising campaign began two months before the event. We developed and we sent out a letter, tri-fold, sign-up form and return postage envelope to members of the Homeschooling Support Network. We obtained mailing labels from the local Girl Scout Coordinator and mailed packets of information directly to the troop leaders. We also sent out mass mailings to administrative personnel in Girl Scout Headquarters in Mercer, Montgomery, Middlesex, Burlington, and Hunterdon Counties in New Jersey. We chose not to pay for advertisments in the local paper since it was not intended for the general public.
Our publicity effort included press releases. Press releases were written as soon as we had confirmed the engineers who volunteered to participate. Press releases were written with a “local hook” and released to local newspapers. The Hopewell Valley News published part of the press release because local resident, Marianne Musella, was organizing the event. When the article was published, we got some local parents call and sign up their students.
PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION
The product distribution involves how you deliver your product to your customer. We chose a centralized school and a 6 hour time frame to deliver our product. Other forms of distribution could include using the internet for remote or interactive classes or conference calls or weekly meetings or other modes.
PRICE
Pricing Strategy is a very diffucult task in marketing. It is human nature to devalue things that are free. Free activities are somehow thought of as having lower value that high priced things. We chose to charge $5 per student with maximum charge of $10 per family. Homeschooler have limited funds. We also thought that a financial committment would assure that people would attend the event if they had a financial risk even though it was small. We did not publish a refund policy. Two students did not attend and did not ask for a refund. We supplied all the workshop materials, folders with handouts, pencils, name tags, and snacks and beverages at the breaks between sessions and at lunch.
The teachers who were involved felt we could have charged $20 to $40 for the day and that full day, weekend programs offered to children would cost closer to $45. The grant offset all our expenses such as facility and equipment rental, materials, printing and mailings.
Highlight what the section has accomplished.
The New York Section increased the visibility of SWE in the Homeschooling and Girl Scout communities of Mercer, Montgomery, Middlesex, Burlington, and Hunterdon Counties in New Jersey and in Upper Delaware Valley in Pennsylvania.
The New York Section has increased awareness of Engineering as a dynamic force for the betterment of Society and as a career option for over 150 participants in Super Engineering Saturday including students, parents and volunteers.
Because of the overwhelming response from participants and non-participants, The New York Section has committed to continue the program into the next millennium through funding from other sources.
SWE members were given the opportunity to showcase their accomplishments and technical careers. Most members chose to prepare a workshop in their field of expertise rather than use a newly developed or existing workshop. The technical content of the workshops was excellent .
The Homeschooling Community was made aware of engineering as a career choice and met role models they never would have seen in their normal activities. Parents and students now have a better understanding of the academic requirements for a career in engineering. A bridge building course will begin in the Fall for interested students and some technical tours will be arranged.
The Girl Scouts now have a point of contact for science and engineering programs and are aware of SWE as a resource for their education efforts.
What you wish you had known before starting the project.
I wish I knew that my friend at Rider University would back out of participation in this project. I expected the education majors from Rider to teach the hands on workshops. The engineers were supposed to introduce themselves and help out. I wanted to develop a synergy between future teachers and engineers. This did not happen but one of the mother’s told me it was better to expose the children to the challenging workshops prepared by the engineers rather than a workshop prepared by an educator. I think she was right. It was an excellent experience for the students.
I wish I knew how time consuming my role would be. When I did not get funding for curriculum development, I started to look for existing curriculum. I spent weeks searching the Internet, books, exhibits and other sources. I have a lot of information but it would require months to put it into a coherent course. I certainly underestimated the time it takes to develop curriculum. This requires a major grant from a funder like the National Science Foundation.
I also underestimated the time to do the management aspects of the program like mailings and promotion. I spent at least the 6 weeks before the program working on letter writing, logistics, promotion, mailings, and solicitations of volunteers.
I wish I knew that pilot programs need years to get the name recognition to have the large attendance I anticipated and to get press coverage. My attendance was much lower than anticipated and my volunteer pool was much smaller than anticipated. I expected more volunteers and participants but the mix that I had was just right. I kept the class sizes low and it help to make the event so successful.
Overall, Super Engineering Saturday was a very positive learning experience for all concerned and I hope that you all consider taking on a role in a similar undertaking. I have sent along a packet of information with my business card if you have any questions. Thanks you for your interest and attention.
LETTER
April 9, 1999
Dear Friends,
I am searching for some talented engineers to volunteer as “teachers” for 300 students.
ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE.
“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” Henry Brooks Adams
PROJECT: SUPER ENGINEERING SATURDAY
DATE: JUNE 5, 1999, 9 A.M. TO 3 P.M.
LOCATION: LAWRENCEVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL
LAWRENCEVILLE, NEW JERSEY
GOAL:TO INTRODUCE THE WORLD OF ENGINEERING TO THE ENGINEERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Your role as “teacher” will include a short description of your engineering background and job experience. The students can ask questions about you and your career. Bring along any handouts and samples of you work. You and other volunteers will then discuss some aspect of engineering and conduct a hands on workshop with all workshop materials already in the classroom.
Super Engineering Saturday will explore engineering through engineers’ short lectures, hands-on workshops, demonstrations and video presentations. Each sessions will be limited to 20 children of similar age, led by an engineer and several helpers. Sessions will be about an hour. The children will be grouped by age and the workshops will be age appropriate.
Super Engineering Saturday is one of the first activities funded by a grant from the Society of Women Engineers and the Exxon Foundation. I hope you will take on a pioneering role and participate in this unique program. You may want to bring your young children to participate in the activities and older children and spouses to help out with the workshops. Thanks for you attention. If you need more information, you can call or write to me at (609)-466-3565 or mmusella@aol.com or PO Box 84, Hopewell, NJ 08525.
Hope to see you in June.
Sincerely,
Marianne A. Musella, MBA
Super Engineering Saturday Project Manager
Super Engineering Saturday Tentative Schedule June 5, 1999 Lawrenceville Middle School
8:00 am - 9:00 am Set Up Registration and Classrooms
8:30 am - 9:00 am Registration of Children and Assignment of Workshops
9:00 am - 9:50 am Introduction, Video and Demonstration
10:00 am - 10:50 am Session 1 Engineer’s introduction, engineering concept, hands on work
11:00 am - 11:50 PM Session 2 Engineer’s introduction, engineering concept, hands on work
12:00 PM - 12:50 PM Lunch with Exhibits and Videos
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM Demonstration
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM Session 3 Engineer’s introduction, engineering concept, hands on work
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Clean-up
All Sessions will begin with an introduction by an Engineer followed by questions. Workshops will have handouts and materials needed for the hands-on project. Engineers can create their own workshops or choose a prepared workshop. Engineers will receive curriculum material for prepared workshops several weeks ahead and have time to become familiar with the material and objectives of the workshop. All workshops will have sufficient assistants to assist and/or teach the workshop and all materials necessary. Snacks will also be supplied for each workshop so children can take a break at the appropriate time.
The goals of the workshop include:
Sample workshops:
Bridge Workshop: What is a bridge? What types of bridges are there? What kinds of engineers are involved in the design and construction process? Build and test a bridge.
Tunnel Workshop: What is a tunnel? What types of tunnels are there? What kinds of engineers are involved in the design and construction process?
Oil Workshop: What is crude oil? How is it processed? What are the products of oil refining? What do engineers do in the design, construction, operation of oil refineries?
Electric Workshop: What is electricity? How is it made and transmitted?
Solar Energy: What is the best was to store solar energy? Make sample solar batteries.
VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP SHEET FOR SUPER ENGINEERING SATURDAY JUNE 5
Engineer’s Name: _______________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________
Phone #: _______________________________e-mail: _______________________________
Type of Engineer: _____________________________________________________________
Name of Employer: ___________________________________________________________
I volunteer for the: ____ full day (9-3), ____ morning only (9-12), ____afternoon only (12-3)
I prefer to work with ages ___6-7, ___ 8-10, ___ 11-14, ___ no age preference
Audio/visual requirements: ___ slide projector, ___ overhead projector, ____other _________
I will bring the following children with me: (include names and ages)
My spouse will be assisting: (include name)
My children (15 & older) will be assisting: (include names)
Return Form by May 15 to Marianne A. Musella, PO Box 84, Hopewell, NJ 08525
Questions: (609)-466-3565 or e-mail: mmusella@aol.com
CALLING ALL GIRL SCOUTS 6 TO 14
PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST SUPER ENGINEERING SATURDAY SPRING 1999
In Spring, 1999, the First Super Engineering Saturday will be held in the Lawrenceville Area.
Cheryl Litman, Cynthia Lang and Marianne Musella, all Chemical Engineers, are preparing an exciting day. This new program, sponsored by the Society of Women Engineers, will include hands-on engineering workshops, videos and “super science” demonstrations. Engineers will assist in the program and answer questions about their careers.
What do George Washington and Bill Nye, the Science Guy, have in common? They’re both engineers. Our nation's first president was a military engineer and a land surveyor and Bill Nye is a mechanical engineer. Did you know that there are more than 1.9 million engineers in the U.S. today. The average starting salary in 1997 for a new engineer was $35,000.
What do engineers do? Just about everything. They design roller coasters, launch spaceships, suspend bridges, map continents and connect people on the World Wide Web. Engineers are America's problem solvers. They are practical inventors who use science and technology to turn ideas into reality, making our lives easier, healthier, more productive and more fun.
Super Engineering Saturday will explore the science of bridge building, electric transmission, chemical properties, motors and engines and may even launch a rocket to Mars. Children in small groups will enjoy hands-on activities and career oriented videos. Practicing engineers will be available to each small group for discussions. Moms, and dads can enjoy the hands-on workshops too!
If you’d like to participate in this activity or add your name to the mailing list, call Marianne A. Musella (609)-466-3565, write PO Box 84, Hopewell, NJ 08525 or e-mail mmusella@aol.com.
The Society of Women Engineers is an educational organization founded in 1950 and dedicated to providing role models to young women and girls and increasing the awareness of contributions of women engineers to the betterment of society.
HOMESCHOOLING SIGN UP SHEET
Super Engineering Saturday is geared to children 6 to 14. The cost for materials is $3.00 for the first child and $2.00 for each additional child. Maximum cost per family is $7.00. Lunch will be provided but children may bring a lunch as well. A nursery will be provided for younger children. Please register your child/ren by mailing in the attached form by October 20, 1998. Call Marianne A. Musella (609)-466-3565 for any additional information. Space is limited, so sign up early!
Parent Name_________________________ Phone # ____________________
Address: _______________________
Children’s Names and Ages: ___________________________________________
Lunch: _____will bring lunch, ______please provide lunch for _______
Nursery: _________ need nursery
Marianne A. Musella, MBA
Apple Enterprise
PO Box 84, Hopewell, NJ 08525
(609)-466-3565 mmusella@aol.com
LETTTER
September 17, 1998Art Rusomano
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ
Dear Art,
Per our discussions last week, I have prepared this summary for a Super Engineering Saturday. The Society Of Women Engineers approved my grant proposal at reduced costs. I am awaiting a check from the National Treasurer.
I’m sure the Super Engineering Saturday will be mutually beneficial. Rider has a wonderful campus for this type of activity. Cheryl Litman explored with Jan Buley the possibility of some of Rider’s education students working with us on this activity. Cheryl and I would like to present the day long workshop on November 7, 1998. We hope that this will be the start of a working partnership. The benefactor of SWE’s Program Fund has committed to 3 years of funding.
Hope to see you soon
Sincerely,
Marianne A. Musella, MBA ‘96
ON WEBSITES, DEGREES, AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
If you wish to explore the Internet for information about course requirements for attending engineering colleges or types of engineers, there are many sites on the net.
Annually, engineers celebrate Engineers Week in February around George Washington’s Birthday. The site http://www.eweek.org has information on activities such as the Future Cities Competition for 7th and 8th graders. They also have links to other engineering organizations.
High Schools have groups that join JETS, the Junior Engineering Technical Society. Their site lists information on courses required by engineering colleges. They are at http://www.jets.org
The Society of Women Engineers website http://www.swe.org has career guidance information and write-ups on many experiments you can do at home.
The American Association of Engineering Societies website http://aaes.org has links to many other engineering societies from civil to chemical. They are an umbrella organization representing many other engineering societies.
(cut along dotted line and return bottom portion with comments) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUPER ENGINEERING SATURDAY COMMENT SHEET
Things you liked:____________________________________________________________
Things you didn’t like:________________________________________________________
Things you would add:________________________________________________________
What month would you prefer to hold the event in:_________________________________
Would you prefer a Saturday or Sunday or Weekday___________________________________
(note: volunteer speakers would probably not be available during the day on a weekday)
What questions would you want answered: ________________________________________
Additional Comments: _________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________Please return sheet in enclosed envelope with any comments or suggestions: to Marianne A. Musella, PO Box 84, Hopewell, NJ 08525 PO Box 84 Hopewell, NJ 08525 August 11, 1999
LETTER
Dear Parents,
On behalf of the Society of Women Engineers I would like to thank you for encouraging your children to participants in the first Super Engineering Saturday. We hope it was a rewarding educational experience.
This pioneering program was funded by a grant from SWE and the Exxon Education Foundation.
I hope to seek other funding for similar programs in the future.
Enclosed are Certificates for your children’s portfolio.
I am preparing an article for the Society of Women Engineers Magazine and am in need of pictures for the article. If you took any pictures of the event, please send me a copy, noting who is in the picture. I will include it in the article and send you a copy of the magazine when published. I can reimburse you for any expenses.
As I searched my Familiar Quotations book for an appropriate quote, I found one on “The story of a brave engineer. Casey Jones”. It seems that the American folk lore from the early 1900s, depicting a heroic locomotive engineer, is still a large part of our American consciousness. I hope our efforts helped to change this perception and show that engineers are part of every technological improvement and every aspect of modern life.
Thank you for helping us to enlighten and educate your children.
Sincerely,
Marianne A. Musella, MBA
Super Engineering Saturday Project Manager
LETTER
Dear Loraine Huchler,
On behalf of the Society of Women Engineers and all the participants in the first Super Engineering Saturday, I would like to thank you for your pioneering efforts in this new program. It is greatly appreciated that you took the time to prepare and present such worthwhile materials. Your workshop on Racing Cars was well received. All the parents and students I have met since the event were most impressed and hope to participate in another event next year.
As I searched my Familiar Quotations book for an appropriate thank you quote, I found one on “The story of a brave engineer. Casey Jones”. It seems that the American folk lore from the early 1900s, depicting a heroic locomotive engineer, is still a large part of our American consciousness. Your efforts helped to change this perception and show that engineers are part of every technological improvement and every aspect of modern life. You have helped bring awareness of the “stealth profession” to future engineers and their parents.
Thank you for bringing enlightenment and education and for giving your time and creative spirit. I will be eternally grateful for your help. As an engineer-teacher, your influence on future generations of engineers will benefit our chosen profession.
Sincerely,
Marianne A. Musella, MBA Super Engineering Saturday Project Manager
ARTICLE ON SUPER ENGINEERING SATURDAY
“At the conclusion of Session 3, my 6 year old son asked if we could take ‘just one more class, pretty please, Mom?’” This comment came from one of the Parents Evaluation Forms for the first Super Engineering Saturday. On a beautiful, sunny day, one hundred and fifty students, parents, engineers, educators and volunteers participated in the first Super Engineering Saturday at the Middle School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The event, held on June 5, 1999, was hosted by the New York Section of the Society of Women Engineers and sponsored by a grant from SWE and the Exxon Education Foundation. Marianne A. Musella, a chemical engineer and Senior Life Member of SWE, planned and organized the event. Adele Cardenas, Vice President of Student Services, was the SWE Board of Director’s Sponsor for the grant.
Super Engineering Saturday was designed to increase awareness of engineering in targetted communities. With over 2 million engineers working in the US, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. it is surprising that most Americans know little about engineers or engineering. A Harris poll taken last fall by the National Academy of Engineers found that almost 60% of Americans stated that they were not well informed about engineers and engineering. The first thing that needed to be done on the project was to convince parents, counsellors and students of the targetted Communities of the importance of engineering. This was done through promotional notices that heighlighted engineering contributions to society.
Super Engineering Saturday, a pilot program, explored engineering through engineers’ short lectures, hands-on workshops, super science demonstrations and video presentations. The program was geared to students and parents from the Homeschool Community and Girl Scouts. Participants were invited to attend by mailings. There are over a million students educated at home according to the Homeschoolers Legal Defense Fund. Most of SWE’s formal career guidance programs, like the Certificates of Merit, do not reach these students.
Super Engineering Saturday began with an introduction to engineering and video, a super science demonstration by one of the top elementary science educators in New Jersey, Dan Weissman. Students and parents then participated in two workshops or sessions on engineering topics. Students were grouped by age and assigned to age appropriate sessions. Seven simultaneous sessions were led by engineers from the New York and New Jersey Sections of SWE and other volunteers from the engineering community.
Lunch was accompanied by videos, handouts and demonstrations of science kits and computer curriculum. The afternoon included a raffle of science kits, school supplies, books and engineering tools and another demonstration by Mr. Weissman, 1999 recipient of a Presidential Science Teaching Award.
The afternoon closed with a final session where event evaluation forms were distributed. About 40% of the students and 25% of the parents returned their evaluation forms. All the students and parents enjoyed and were satisfied with Super Engineering Saturday and would come back next year. The students rated 73% of the instructors and “great”, 9% as “cool”, and 18% and “OK”. The Super Science Demonstrations were rated “great” by the students. At the end of the day many parents approached Ms. Musella to volunteer for next year. Many of the Girl Scout Counsellors and Homeschooling parents who were unable to attend Super Engineering Saturday asked Ms. Musella if SWE would have another one next year. Overall, Super Engineering Saturday had a very positive effect on those who participated.
Yvonne Brill, propulsion expert and a distinguished members of the National Academy of Engineers, was one of the speakers. Ms Brill is the recipient of SWE’s Achievement Award and the Judith Resnick Challenger Medal. She chose to talk to the 6 and 7 year olds about rockets and the history of space exploration. She was assisted by Ms. Cynthia Lang, an adjunct professor at Penn State specializing in Computer Aided Drafting and Computer Aided Engineering, and technical writing. Ms Lang brought along “alka seltzer - film can” rockets.
Ms. Loraine Huchler, PE, a SWE Distinguished New Engineer, is founder and president of Martech Systems, the only woman owned technical consulting firm that specializes in water treatment and technical marketing. Her workshop explored racing cars using materials from an educational building set made by K’NEX. Marianne A. Musella, past Region E Director and SWE 1990 National Convention Chair is a management connsultant. She lad a workshop on Simple Machines also using curriculum developed by K’NEX.
Ms. Margaret Lyons, PE, past Region E Director, is a specialist in wireless communications. She developed a digital logic workshop entitled “How to count 1 plus 1”. Mr. Peter Reisz, a friend of Ms. Lyons, is an electrical engineer with a specialty in wireless communications and a Titanic historian. His workshop introduced students to Marconi, Morse Code and wireless communication used on the Titanic. He built a model of the doomed ship for his workshop.
Fred Bartolis is a civil engineer and project manager with Amtrack over 20 years. His shared with the students his latest project, the construction of the new railroad station across the street from Penn Station in New York City.
Super Engineering demonstrated that engineers make good spouses! Four engineering couples participate in workshops and other activities. Jean Ver Hoeven, an industrial engineer, developed a workshop on Ergonimics. Her spouse, Dr. Charles Siletti, a Chemical Engineer with Mobil, designed a workshop entitled “Fun with Process Engineering”. They broght alone their new daughter who slept through some of Jean’s workshop. Beena Sukumaran, a civil engineering professor at Rowan University was assisted by her spouse, Mr. Srinivasan Vanchinathan, a chemical engineer. They did a workshop on Bridges that included construction of cantilevered, truss, vertical lift and arch type bridges. The Sukumaran-Vanchinathans are expecting their first child this August. Dr.Christi Madsen, a member of the technical staff at Lucent Technologies, developed optical components for deployment in Submarine Optical Communication Systems. She and her husband did a workshop on photo phones which explored the challenges of transmissions using light as a medium.
Members of the Super Engineering Saturday Committee included Susan Miszkowicz, a civil engineer, specializing in project coordination. She recently chaired the Mid-Atlantic Region Conference of the Society of Women Engineers and is Vice President of the New York Section of SWE. Ms. Miszkowicz was Registrar and greeted all participants. Soo Christoff, a past Society Treasurer and consultant to Bristol Meyers Squibb, specializes in managing mulit-million dollar projects. She assembled speakers biographies and acted as liason with other engineering societies who were invited to participate. Gaston Musella, a professor of computing at Bernard Baruch University, assisted in the logistics and on-site arrangements. Francis Musella, a homeschooler, managed a raffle for the students. John Huchler, a chemical engineer and spouse of speaker Loraine Huchler assisted with computers and displays of science kits.
Some of the tangible benefits to SWE generated by this project was an increase in SWE’s visibility in the Homeschooling and Girl Scout communities of Mercer, Montgomery, Middlesex, Burlington, and Hunterdon Counties in New Jersey and in Upper Delaware Valley in Pennsylvania. Participants came from all these area of Central and Southern New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. Along with visibility came an increased awareness of Engineering as a dynamic force for the betterment of Society and as a career option for the participants in Super Engineering Saturday including students, parents and volunteers. “I never knew engineers did so many different things” was another comment by a parent.
Because of the overwhelming response from participants and non-participants, The New York Section has committed to continue the program into the next millennium through funding from other sources.
Through this project, SWE members were given the opportunity to showcase their accomplishments and technical careers. Most members chose to prepare a workshop in their field of expertise rather than use a newly developed or existing workshop. The technical content of the workshops was excellent. One parent stated “Yvonne Brill was facinating”. Ms. Brill, a propulsion expert and a distinguished member of SWE and the National Academy of Engineers, is the recipient of SWE’s Achievement Award and the Judith Resnick Challenger Medal.
The Homeschooling Community was made aware of engineering as a career choice and met role models they never would have seen in their normal activities. Parents and students now have a better understanding of the academic requirements for a career in engineering. A bridge building course will begin in the Fall for interested students and some technical tours will be arranged.
The Girl Scouts now have a point of contact for science and engineering programs and are aware of SWE as a resource for their education efforts.
Overall, Super Engineering Saturday was a very positive learning experience for all concerned.
FROM: Marianne A. Musella, MBA, Project Manager, Society of Women Engineers, PO BOX 84, Hopewell, NJ 08525 (609) - 466-3565