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Chicago Engineers Week 2024

What is Engineering?

Engineering is the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures. Engineering has existed since ancient times as humans devised fundamental inventions such as the pulley, lever, and wheel. From these additional tools were devised including incline plane, wedge, wheel and axle, and screw. We’ve come a long way from there.

Engineering is the application of science and math to solve problems. While engineers, scientists and inventors come up with innovations, it is engineers who apply these discoveries to the real world. Engineering has numerous disciplines including electronics, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, chemical, civil, structural, industrial, aerospace, and many more. Depending on the type of project, different combinations of engineering disciplines work jointly to develop the best, most cost-effective, and safest products and solutions.

About E-Week

Throughout the Unites States we celebrate Engineers Week every year on the week of George Washington’s birthday in honor of the first president’s background as an engineer and land surveyor. I’ll bet Washington never imagined getting an EWeek message from the International Space Station. This year many events will take place during E-Week February 18-24, 2024. However, Engineers Week is more than a week-long event; it is a year-round commitment by the engineering community to reach out to students, teachers, parents and counselors and make a difference.

Check below for E-Week events planned for 2024

In Chicagoland there are celebrations and awards for engineers who have excelled in their field of engineering and for outstanding engineering projects. There are communications about the great need for engineers, including the difference engineers make in our world. And there are events for students of all ages hosted by engineers, engineering societies and organizations who volunteer their time to bring engineering to life for kids, educators, and parents.

About Us

Our goal is to provide an easy resource available to students, parents, teachers and volunteers in and around Chicago for engineering related STEM programs being offered for local students. We hope to engage our engineer volunteer community to celebrate and encourage students in engineering.

  • Engineers are creative problem-solvers.
  • Engineers make a world of difference.
  • Engineers help shape the future.
  • Engineering is essential to our health, happiness, and safety.

Argonne Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day – Feb 15th

Black Creativity Gala – Feb 17th

E-Week Luncheon – Feb 20th

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day – Feb 22nd

Engineering Excellence Awards – Feb 22nd

Washinton Award Banquet – Feb 23rd

NSBE – Engineer’s Week Expo – Feb 24th

Discover Engineering – Feb 24th

 

Black Creativity Career Showcase – Feb 24th

Northwestern / SWE Career Day for Girls – Feb 24th

Chicago Architecture Center – Feb 24th

World Engineering Day – Mar 4th

MATHCOUNTS – Mar 9th

FIRST Lego League – end of Mar

College of DuPage STEMCON – Apr 27th

ACE Mentor Program – Chicago

Future City

Future City is a project-based learning program where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future.

Future City works with over 1,100 schools and reaches 33,000 students in a semester-long program. This engaging program challenges middle school students to design a city 150 years into the future. Starting with just their imaginations and SimCity software, teams of three students, supported by a teacher and an engineer-mentor, come up with ingenious solutions to specific global challenges.

Regionals of the competition is held January 20th. Finals of the competition is held February 18-20, in Washington DC.

IIT Bridge Building Contest

High school students develop “hands on” skills through bridge construction. By participating in the Bridge Building Competition students get a flavor of what it is to be an Engineer, designing structures to a set of specifications and then seeing them perform their function.

The Chicago Regional contest will be held on the Illinois Tech campus on Tuesday, February 6th

International Contest to be held in New Philadelphia, Ohio on Saturday, April 27th 

Argonne Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day

Young girls enjoy motivational presentations by female engineers, tour Argonne’s cutting edge research facilities, connect with a mentor, engage in hands on engineering experiments, and compete in a team challenge.

February 15th.

 

 

BLACK CREATIVITY GALA

Celebrating the indispensable and significant contributions of Black creators, innovators and artists who bring their esteemed talents and vision to science, technology, engineering, the arts and medicine

February 17th  

 

 

Chicago Engineers Foundation

The mission of the Chicago Engineers’ Foundation is to encourage and empower young people to become the next generation of engineers through scholarship opportunities, outreach to educational institutions, and promoting interest in engineering careers.

E-Week Luncheon w/ Speaker Jamie Rhee, Commissioner, Union League Club, February 20th 

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day

Introduce a Girl to Engineering, or Girl Day, is a time when volunteers, educators, and others act as role models, facilitate engineering activities, and show girls how engineers change our world.

DiscoverE’s research found that this simple formula helps girls develop an interest in engineering, builds their confidence in their problem-solving skills, and creates a STEM identity.

February 22nd

Engineering Excellence Awards

Please join ACEC Illinois at our annual awards night gala. The Engineering Excellence Awards recognize the year’s most outstanding engineering achievements and celebrate the amazing work you provide your clients and promote your understanding efforts.

February 22nd

Washington Award Banquet

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, RosemontVinton Cerf and Robert Kahn are the duel 2024 Washington Awardees for their design of transmission control protocols / internet protocols (TCP/IP) for managing information packet addressing and forwarding to and from proper destinations (making sure they don’t get lost). For this they are recognized as “fathers of the internet”.

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, February 23rd

National Society of Black Engineers

Our Engineer’s Week Expo is coming soon! On February 24th, we will present a full day of STEM activities for kids of all ages. Ready for workshops complete with hands-on projects, learning more about STEM, and displays from some of the top companies in the Chicago area?

 

 

Discover Engineering

Engineers, technologists, and technicians are changing the world all of the time. They dream up creative, practical solutions and work with other smart, inspiring people to invent, design, and create things that matter.

 

Museum of Science & Industry Career

 

The Women & African Americans in STEM are holding career showcases  to interact with engineers, scientist, and artists to discuss innovative work happening locally. This is an opportunity to learn from professionals during demonstrations, hands-on activities, and one-on-one conversations.

Black Creativity Career Showcase February 24th.  

 

 

Northwestern / SWE Career Day for Girls

Career Day for Girls (CDFG) is is designed for female junior high and high school students, but open to students of any gender identity who have an interest in science and mathematics. The program will contain educational and career information about opportunities in engineering and applied science.

February 24th.

CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER

Engineering Fest – Explore Willis Tower, meet engineers, and learn how architecture and engineering partner to create cities we know and love. This festival is FREE with pre-registration.

February 24th.

Illinois Science Olympiad

Illinois Science Olympiad is a non-profit organization devoted to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement in science education by both students and teachers. 

Various Dates for Tournament.

World Engineering Day

While many countries celebrate their own national engineering days, weeks, or months throughout the year, DiscoverE launched the first annual Global Day of the Engineer in 2016 as a way to collectively recognize engineers worldwide.

In 2020, this global celebration was renamed World Engineering Day as a joint venture with UNESCO and WFEO to highlight engineers’ achievements around the world and improve the public understanding of the importance of engineering and technology. Join us March 4th!  

MATHCOUNTS

MATHCOUNTS provides engaging math programs to U.S. middle school students of all ability levels in order to build confidence and improve attitudes towards math and problem solving. This event is the culmination of months of practice and local competitions to determine which Teams of Mathletes move on to the State Competition.

Illinois State Competition is March 9th.

FIRST Illinois Robotics

Our programs vary by age and challenge so that learning never stops building upon itself.  Starting at age 6 and continuing through middle and high-school levels up to age 18, young people can participate at any level.  The 5 programs aim to increase the number and excellence of youth going into scientific and technical pursuits, for which there is great demand both nationally and globally. The 5 programs also seek to encourage broad participation in science and technology, particularly from groups, such as women, that are underrepresented in those fields.

First Robotics Midwest Regional Competition March 27th through 30th

College of DuPage – STEMCON

From airplanes and NASCAR to DNA and nanotechnology, COD STEMCON lets you explore the fascinating world of STEM. Get hands on with dozens of high-quality, well-facilitated experiments and demonstrations designed to inform, entertain and spark interest in a broad range of STEM topics.

April 27 

ACE Mentor Program – Chicago

From airplanes and NASCAR to DNA and nanotechnology, COD STEMCON lets you explore the fascinating world of STEM. Get hands on with dozens of high-quality, well-facilitated experiments and demonstrations designed to inform, entertain and spark interest in a broad range of STEM topics.

 

National Society of Professional Engineers

 

Get Ready for 2024 Engineers Week

Founded by NSPE in 1951, Engineers Week (February 18-24) is a time for you to celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world and engage students in engineering.

This latest Engineers Week theme — Welcome to the Future — is about recognizing today’s achievements and paving the way for a brighter and more diverse future in engineering. 

DuPage Area STEM EXPO

The DuPage Area STEM Expo, in conjunction with National Engineers Week, is a specialized event designed to promote the awareness of professional and educational opportunities provided among engineering and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.

Event is yet to be scheduled, you may sign up on the site (link through button below) for updates. 

DiscoverE works to provide every student with a shared STEM experience and the resources, programs, and connections to improve the understanding of engineering through a united voice and a global distribution network.

*STEM Careers

Engineers, technologists, and technicians are changing the world all of the time. They dream up creative, practical solutions and work with other intelligent, inspiring people to invent, design, and create things that improve our world.

To learn about the different types of engineering click to “Learn More”