Free Engineering Expo Planned for Local Kids
The Wichita Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the Wichita State College of Engineering are pleased to announce that their 14th annual Engineering Expo will be held Saturday, February 25th 2012 from 9 am until noon at the Spirit HR Service Center, 3420 South Oliver.
This annual event introduces girls & boys to science and engineering concepts through interactive activities. Booths will be set up with hands-on demonstrations of principles in areas like electrical, civil, and mechanical engineering.
“Our goal is just to expose kids to some of the things engineers think about,” said Barbara Davis, SWE outreach coordinator. “Engineers have to be imaginative! We love solving problems and making the world a better place, and we’re always trying new things.”
There is no charge for participation, and no pre-registration is required. Anyone in the community is invited to show up any time during the three hour event.
“Every year we have new booths,” said Kim Burton, 2012 Expo chair. “Last year the kids made slime to learn about cross-linked polymers, built bridges to learn about structures, and talked across the room on a light beam to learn about electronics. We had over 300 kids attend. We’ve done this every year since 1998 and it gets bigger every year.”
The activities are intended for girls and boys in grades K-8. All participants must have a parent or guardian present during the Expo.
“I’ve volunteered at Expo for several years, and have even seen some of the same kids return year after year. Their level of understanding increases,” said Ivy Lanning, who first got involved with Expo as a Wichita State student. “It’s really cool; I hope they’re all as passionate as I am about the things they can do to change their world.”
More information is online at WichitaSWE.org/Expo
About the Society of Women Engineers
The Wichita section of the Society of Women Engineers is a not-for-profit educational and service organization. We believe the engineering profession is a positive force in improving the quality of life, and diversity is a powerful contributor to engineering.
WichitaSWE.org
PO Box 1096
Wichita, KS 67201
Contact: Allison Wright
E-mail: Wichita@swe.org
