The Florida Engineering Society (FES) is a 4000+ member organization representing the interests of engineers in Florida. The Palm Beach Chapter of the FES is getting more and more involved with bringing engineering into the classroom. The K-12 Committee has begun its activities for the new school year. The committee has already spoken to the SECME school-based staff and some opportunities have arisen (with more coming). Last year, the FES Palm Beach Chapter donated over 500 hours of time to the students of Palm Beach County. That is a TON of effort for which FES has every right to be proud. The gift of their time has such a huge positive impact. Any one who has volunteered knows how great that feeling can be.
One of the main purposes of the committee is to connect engineers with students in grades K-12 in order to:
(1) expose students to engineering achievements and the importance of engineering innovation to our everyday lives,
(2) provide opportunities for students to participate in hands-on programs that involve engineering problem solving techniques, and
(3) create opportunities for increasing involvement in activities and programs that provide a deeper understanding of the engineering profession and a foundation for college-level engineering education for those students who have the ability and the inclination.
Mr. Jim Kunard, PE (and past president of FES Palm Beach Chapter), and Shams Moghadam, P.E. (specifically, an electrical engineer), visited with Seminole SECME on Wednesday, October 7th. They began with the technical drawings for an emergency generator building for the School District of Palm Beach County, and brought it back around by reviewing our technical drawings for our SECME mousetrap powered cars. Their engineering expertise is helping Seminole SECME students make that connection between the classroom and a career!
