Tips for Engineers Week 2012, Feb. 19-25   

Getting Organized 
 

TIP #1   Identify an Engineers Week point of contact for your Section or Branch.  

Send us the name of a local champion to receive information leading up to Engineers Week. We'll contact your current outreach chair in our database with news and updates, but if you don’t have a chair, email outreach@asce.org and let us know who to include.

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Hold a meeting or phone call with Section /Branch leaders and select one community volunteer from your Section/Branch who deserves special recognition.  Send their name to us by Jan. 6, 2012, and that special volunteer will be recognized at all three ASCE Leadership Conferences during the awards luncheon. In addition ASCE headquarters will send the community volunteer a Starbucks gift card and letter of congratulations to express our thanks!

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TIP #3   Collaborate with others. Reach out to local Battelle offices, or ASME chapters.   

 The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Battelle are the 2012 national co-chairs for Engineers Week. Reach out to people you know in these organizations to combine forces for Engineers Week.

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Celebrate Engineering! 

 7,000,000,000 People - Seven Billion Dreams 

This year’s theme, 7,000,000,000 People - Seven Billion Dreams highlights the vast reach of engineering. Engineers are innovators who turn the dreams of the world into reality. Celebrate this message with other engineers and your community all year round, but especially during Engineers Week!

TIP #4   Display Engineers Week and Introduce a Girl to Engineering posters in high impact locations. 

Available now! Each free poster includes ideas for classroom activities and other resources. Order through outreach@asce.org. (Limit: One poster of each type per request.)

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Whether you plan to collaborate with others or go it alone for National Engineers Week, we know you are looking for resources to make your outreach efforts more successful!   Using resources that feature the 2012 theme will help showcase the global nature of engineers' work and the valuable contributions they make in shaping the reality of people's lives around the world.   

T-shirts, mugs, hats, buttons and more are also available for purchase through the National Engineers Week Foundation. Civil engineering themed activity guides, handouts and give aways are always available online in the ASCE eStore.

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TIP #6   Use Engineers Week messaging to engage members and build public awareness. 

Download National Engineers Week Foundation graphics.  

Download ASCE Engineers Week graphics.

Consider displaying themed graphics:

• in articles about Engineers Week in your January and /or February eNewsletters.
• on your Section or Branch Website
• on banners, programs and other communications
• or create a signature line for your emails during January to recognize National Engineers Week.  Include the themed message in italics.

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Encourage them to use themed materials:   

•  on their website
•  in their eNewsletter
•  on banners inside or outside the building
•  enclosed with checks to employees
•  on signs or table tents in the cafeteria or lunchroom

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Help Kids Discover Engineering 

Inspire the Next Generation   

What would Engineers Week be without educational outreach activities to help kids discover how engineers are shaping the future?  Inspire the next generation of civil engineers at your 2012 Engineers Week event. 

TIP # 8    Plan to hold pre-college outreach activities 

• ASCE Pre-College Outreach can help with Section and Branch educational outreach activities, including Engineers Week celebrations. For information, email outreach@asce.org 
• Order resources!  Free and low cost resources, including Engineers Week bookmarks and stickers are available online.   
• Popular handouts:  
• Civil Engineering – It's Everywhere! for grades 3-4, 5-6 and/or 7-8  
• It’s your life … your world.  How will you make a difference?  for high school  
• What is a civil engineer?  for high school  
• Promote your activity on the Discover-e web portal, mydiscover-e.org. Log in as a registered user to add your activity to this national search database of hands-on educational opportunities for kids during Engineers Week and throughout the year.    
• Registered users can download the Discover-e logo. Add it to your promotional pieces for your outreach event. Be a part of this national movement to share hands-on educational engineering activities with kids of all ages! 
• Print promotional t-shirts for your volunteers for your event. Include the Discover-e logo on the shirt.  
• Pass out a Discover-e themed postcard with details about how event participants may contact your Section or Branch to have a “real engineer” attend their classroom or after school event. 
• Treat volunteers to a unique ‘Thank you’ or special recognition for their participation.  Let them know how much you value their time and contribution. 

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 Thank a Volunteer! 

 Engineers Make a World of Difference 

Engineers Week is a celebration of engineer volunteerism, highlighting the extraordinary work volunteers do throughout the year, as they promote the profession of civil engineering in their communities.  Engineers DO Make World of Difference!  Be sure to tell them so during Engineers Week.

Do your volunteers get the public recognition they deserves?  During Engineers Week boost awareness of ongoing contributions to your community and recognize volunteers for their service.

• Download print and web graphics to build enthusiasm and engage volunteers  
• Prepare certificates of appreciation and present it at a prominent Section/Branch event or awards dinner.
• Write a letter to the volunteer’s employer letting them know the volunteer’s accomplishments and how much you appreciate their support of the volunteer’s efforts.
• Give all volunteers a special thank you, or reward just a few for their efforts:
  • Ruler/Tape measure (any brand) - "It's easy to measure the difference you've made” 
  • ASCE logo hat - "Our hats are off to you! Thanks for all you do!"  
  • ASCE Shirt - "We know you'd give the shirt off your back... Here's an extra one for the next time you give so much." 
   
• a Web photo gallery of the volunteer work being done. 
• Include a volunteer feature in your eNewsletter. (Don’t forget about the web graphics.) 
•  Send news about your volunteers to ASCE headquarters at outreach@asce.org. 

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TIP #10    Hold an Engineers Week banquet or luncheon. 

• Utilize the Engineers Make a World of Difference theme in your "save the date" email, invitation and program.
• Consider having a featured speaker who has been touched by the volunteer service of engineers in your Section or Branch.
• Showcase the many contributions of the winners of your local volunteer award, New Faces of Civil Engineering, or EWB chapter.
• Hang banners or display posters to highlight the Make a Difference theme. 
• Create a slide show with photographs of your Section or Branch’s volunteers out in the world making a difference. Set the show to themed music, such as Eric Clapton's Change the World. Show the slide show while guests are arriving.
• Include students and provide postcards with information about how they can get involved and start making a difference while they are still an undergrad.

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Questions?  Feel free to contact Leslie Payne, senior manager, pre-college outreach at ASCE.  703-295-6364 or email outreach@asce.org