INNOVATION May-June 2013

career awarenes s

Engineering and Geoscience Community Reaches Out to the Public

hosted by the Okanagan Branch and UBC Okanagan, as well as the Vancouver Branch’s annual E-fest at the Vancouver Public Library rounded out the offerings. Initiatives such as the Then and Now photo campaign invited members to send in photos of themselves to show how their interest was sparked as children to choose a career in engineering or geosci- ence. This resulted in an inspirational online gallery, and a print ad that illustrated how a meaningful career can start with inspiration. (Both the gallery and ad can be found at www.apeg.bc.ca/about/ negmthenandnow.html). The Water Works Challenge, a contest asking teams of students and professionals to design and build a speedy water-transporting appara- tus with mystery items, brought out enthusiastic participation from the engineering and geoscience community: members, students and companies around the province and even as far as Australia. Water Works Challenge entries can be viewed on APEGBC’s YouTube chan- nel: www.youtube.com/APEGBC1, including the winning video from Team Smart Snake of Fluor Canada, whose contraption achieved a breathtaking time of 2.9 seconds. Thank you to everyone who played a part this year, helping to show their pride and share their passion for the professions of engineering and geoscience. NEGM 2013 has been a great success, owing largely

National Engineering and Geoscience Month (NEGM) was March 2013, and BC engineers and geoscientists celebrated with substance and style. During this time, different initiatives and activities around the province sought to engage both the public and APEGBCmembers in order to highlight career choices in engineering and geoscience, and raise awareness of these professions. This year 13 branches participated in 16 NEGM events across the province and succeeded in involving more than 2,800 people in fun engineering- and geoscience-related activities. Popsicle stick bridge competitions—where bridges are built with nothing but 100 popsicle sticks, glue and ingenuity—were held by the Central Interior, Fraser Valley, Tri-City, Burnaby/New Westminster, Richmond/Delta, South Central, Peace River, Sea to Sky, West Kootenay, Vancouver Island and Northern Branches. Other activities such as the edible car competition Branch volunteers organized National Engineering and Geoscience Month events around BC Drawing Contest Encourages Kids to Think about Science Careers

to the posi- tive reception from APEGBC members, both participants and volunteers.

Finding different ways of reaching out to the public about engineering and geoscience is a key part of APEGBC’s career awareness strategy. With this in mind, APEGBC and the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC teamed up to hold a drawing contest that asked children, ages 4 to 12, to draw something or someone that uses science to do something neat for a chance to win a $50 Chapters gift card. This year, we received over 150 submissions from around BC. Here are the winning entries in each age category:

Ages 6-8

1st Place - Arianna Ralph, Age 8

Ages 4-5

Ages 9-12

1st Place - Hannah Musooli, Age 5

1st Place - Erika Lieu, Age 10

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