As schools around the country look for opportunities to enhance students’ experiences within the STEAM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), McGaugh Elementary School is committed to helping keep students on the cutting edge.
This year, Boeing Corporation has partnered with McGaugh during National Engineering Week to bring engineering to the classroom, to increase student awareness about career opportunities within the field of engineering, and to celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world.
During the week of Feb. 22-28, several engineers from Boeing Corporation volunteered their time to visit all of McGaugh’s third-grade, fourth-grade, and fifth-grade classrooms to share their experiences as aerospace engineers and lead students through an engaging lab activity.
Each guest speaker shared a brief presentation about Boeing Corporation, taught students about different aspects of engineering, shared about their educational experiences, and led students through a lab activity that required them to work in groups to build the tallest tower possible given 20 strands of uncooked spaghetti and a handful of marshmallows.
“Engineering week was a blast! I already had my eyes set on being an engineer, but this day made me realize that is one of the things that was something I could start now!” explained Michael Sorenson from Mrs. Williams class.
National Engineering Week is celebrated around the country each year during the last week of February to encourage students to consider pursuing careers in engineering. According to the National Bureau of Labor Statics, the need for engineers in the 21st Century Knowledge Economy is expected to grow by 10 percent in the coming decade, and engineering graduates are among the top earners among recent college graduates.
“We’re very appreciative of Boeing’s support of National Engineering Week in our classrooms. Martha Garcia from Boeing has played an integral role in scheduling the classroom visits and she has done a great job with our students. It’s great that their engineers are bringing a hands-on engineering experiment to the classroom that is both fun and educational for our students,” explained McGaugh’s Principal, Dr. Jerry Gargus. “Boeing is definitely helping to prepare our students for future careers in engineering!”
