Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers
Build your skills and confidence in talking about civil engineering and guiding kids through engineering design activities.
Teaching Tips
- Talk to the teacher or leader a few weeks in advance. Find out how old/what grade are the children, how many will be attending, and how long you have for the activity.
- Have your materials organized before you arrive.
- A little planning goes a long way toward being sure that
your activities run smoothly and kids stay engaged.
- Kids can be unpredictable, so gain confidence with
a few simple tips to help guide them during your classroom visit.
Civil Engineering Activities For Kids
Where to Conduct Outreach Events
Poll your fellow ASCE members for connections. It’s easiest to start where you are already known.
Possible venues include:
- Schools
- After-school programs including the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs
- Clubs such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H
- Public libraries
Messages for Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is a dynamic field that makes a difference in people’s lives. We help them get to work and school, bring clean water to their houses, design bike routes, and make buildings safer in hurricanes and earthquakes.
Research conducted by the National Academy of Engineering has found the messages people need to hear. Use these messages to drive your presentation, sharing your interest and passion for the field.
- Engineers make a world of difference
- Engineers are creative problem solvers
- Engineers help shape the future
- Engineering is essential for our health, happiness, and safety
What's the most important thing you want any student to say at the end of an outreach event?
I did civil engineering and I had fun!
Outreach Tips, Techniques, and Best Practices
The ASCE Committee on Pre-College Outreach is building a network of Outreach Champions, ASCE members interested in promoting civil engineering to the pre-college audience. If you are interested, please
contact the Outreach Department to be added to the list.
We are building a library of best practices information, recording segments of our monthly meetings. These are conducted in Adobe Connect.
Videos created by the WGBH Education Department for ASCE. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Project Lead: Lauren Feinberg; Project Advisors: Borgna Brunner, Susan Buckey, Sonja Latimore, and Nancy Linde; Photographers: Stacey Wei and Lauren Feinberg; Volunteer Engineer models: Chris Randall and Vanessa Forero; Narrator: Gentry Menzel. Photos courtesy of ASCE, WGBH, Microsoft Corporation, SITE Design Group Inc, Leikny Johnson, David Hathcox, and Blend Images/Jose Luis Pelaez Inc /Getty Images. Special thanks to the 6th graders at James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury, MA.