Engineering Outreach Activities Ramp Up

Briley James (right) and Jacy Bushboom share a laugh while putting on personal protective equipment in an engineering lab in the 2016 Engineering Summer Program. They, along with 34 other students, learned about engineering and computer science concepts while participating in hands-on activities in advanced labs.

Teddi Freedman has been busy in recent weeks, bringing engineering and computer science to Wyoming teachers and students.

Freedman, who is a University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) Project Coordinator, organizes and administers outreach efforts for the college. Among her job responsibilities is to connect with educators and students from kindergarten through high school to introduce science, engineering, technology and math (STEM) concepts and encourage participation in engineering and computer science activities. Her efforts will ensure Wyoming has the next generation of problem solvers in the workforce.

Some of the recent CEAS outreach activities included Architecture Week (April 8-14), hosted by Wyoming members of the American Institute of Architects, including CEAS civil and architectural engineering alumnae Jera Schlotthauer. Architectural engineers from around the state visited fourth-grade classrooms to talk about the field and host hands-on activities.

The CEAS partnered with the UW Art Museum for a STEM and the Arts event, to find common ground between artists and engineers and how they think and create. The workshop utilized the UW Ann Simpson Artmobile, and traveled to third- and fourth-grade classes in Gillette and Wright.

The UW student chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers and Associate Academic Professional Lecturer Ryan Kobbe hosted Archimedes Principle classroom workshops at Laramie Junior High. The workshop was named for the concepts of Archimedes, a famous Greek mathematician, physicist and engineer, who developed a model for fluid displacement that is still used today.

Freedman attended a workshop in Douglas schools for science and engineering and connecting the scientific method and engineering design process.

Finally, she will attend SkillsUSA contest in Casper to judge the engineering contest and be part of the resource fair with her outreach team.

Other activities include:
• April 30 – The CEAS Female Mentor Program will have its year-end celebration for all mentors and mentees, and discuss ways to grow the program even further. “The program is primed to grow and continue into next year,” Freedman says.

• May 3 – The CEAS Outreach Ambassador program will host its 2017-18 celebration. Each of the 10 students in the program logged more than 60 hours of outreach, and as a group, engaged more than 4,000 students.

• May 15 – UW will host the Women in STEM Conference. It will feature a panel with STEM graduate students, including Rachel Edie (atmospheric science) and Emily Beagle (mechanical engineering) to discuss ways to engage young girls in science and engineering.

• May 22 and May 29 – The UW Student Innovation Center and Biodiversity Center will host Cheyenne’s Prairie Wind Elementary third-grade students for daylong STEM programming.

• June 10-16 – UW hosts the Native American Summer Institute, and the CEAS and Student Innovation Center will have specific engineering-related programming.

• June 17-23 – The annual Engineering Summer Program will take place this summer. The unique program, now in its 31st year, gives high school students from across the country the opportunity to experience the world of engineering with hands-on activities.