Engineering - hottest career, more than Rock Star

[Foster]

Our local school district has decided to start up STEM Academy, a school based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Yay!!). I'm now part of a group that needs to go sell engineering as the "Coolest Job on the Planet".

I'm looking for some help. While we know that Dean Kamen (lives on a Tech Island) and Dave Lavery (My other car's on Mars) are "rock stars" in our world (just two of of ours), I'm looking for examples that will resonate with my demographic.

I'm selling to parents from 36-50 that remember when they went to school that the engineering programs were "weed outs" for the "not worthy". I'm selling into an environment of "Wall Street is the Main Street" and being average has gotten them by.

While I think that "Robots Rock" I need a more and broader engineering message. I have links from ASME and IEEE, other help is most welcome.

I know that the student roboteers here "Get it", how do I sell it to parents. And this is similar to a Dean's Homework from a few years ago, what did you do that works?

Thanks!

[Daniel_LaFleur]

I'm looking for some help. While we know that Dean Kamen (lives on a Tech Island) and Dave Lavery (My other car's on Mars) are "rock stars" in our world (just two of of ours), I'm looking for examples that will resonate with my demographic.

I'm selling to parents from 36-50 that remember when they went to school that the engineering programs were "weed outs" for the "not worthy". I'm selling into an environment of "Wall Street is the Main Street" and being average has gotten them by.


Look up Randy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Pausch) Pausch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo)

[Tom Bishop]

Lonnie Johnson

[JamesCH95]

Everyone knows cars are cool, right? I'm a little bit bias myself, but look into showing off Formula SAE, where engineering students build vehicles with super-car performance. I could help with more info on that if you'd like, PM me.

Also notice this:

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-college_grads_which_ones_earn_the_most-1103

7 of the top 10 paying careers for undergraduates are directly in an engineering field, 9 of the top 10 involve hard science, and all 10 use a significant amount of math. Money talks.

Engineering is also being dragged into TV, on shows like Howe and Howe Tech and Prototype This (IIRC).

Best of luck!

[gloomy_lion]

Try showing the adults something along the lines of the Symphony of Science (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_of_Science).

Or, you could point out famous scientists on television like the Mythbusters, Bill Nye, or Neil deGrasse Tyson. If you're really desperate, you could also point out the (former) popularity of shows like Battlebots and Robot Wars (too bad they aren't aired anymore).

Another great thing to mention would be the $9 million in scholarships FIRST has available. Money talks.

[EricH]

Everyone knows cars are cool, right? I'm a little bit bias myself, but look into showing off Formula SAE, where engineering students build vehicles with super-car performance. I could help with more info on that if you'd like, PM me.

SAE Aero Design says that Formula SAE wings are upside-down and should be turned over. :p

Actually, any of the SAE Collegiate Design Series (which also includes Baja, Supermileage, and Clean Snowmobile) would be a good candidate. When a first-year Supermileage team gets 300 MPG...

ASME has competitions as well; various engineering societies host their own.

[dtengineering]

Ideas:

a) Where is America's (or Canada's... or any nation's) wealth going to come from for the next generation?

Innovation and creativity. We have to make things or provide services that people want... and if we want to keep our standard of living, it had better be good.

b) Want to save a life? Be an engineer. Add it up, all through history, and you'll find a good argument that engineers have saved more lives... and continue to save more lives... than doctors.

Jason

[Joe Matt]

I say don't focus on the huge hot shots all over the country; there are millions of those in all sorts of fields. Find people, locally, especially who have gone through your school district or city, who are doing great things locally or nationally. Show that you don't have to be a prodigy or lucky to do great thing.

[Engineer]

Engineers build all the cool and fun stuff everyone else likes to play with i.e. vehicles, iPhones, Play Station, TVs, Make-up, medical equipment, sports equipment, etc. Engineers and Scientist like to make stuff. You have to be competitive and like to make stuff to be successful in this as a career. Show them those cool and fun things we make. Make it fun. Example: I made a gas powered squirt gun just for fun (actually I made two). It throws 50-60 gallons of water per minute 60-70+ feet through the air. There is not a “Super Soaker” out there that can compete with it.:cool: It works great if you have to wash something big like a house or building too although you do need a pond or small lake to keep it supplied with enough water. :D

[Siri]

Well of course it is, what's the question? ;)

I perceive this sort of as two separate queries: why should we send our kids here, and can they handle it (don't all scientists need to be from Lincolnshire)?

Why should we send our kids to the STEM Academy?
It's Important/Cool: (I assume you're not looking for "come if they like STEM".) Engineers make all the important stuff we use, scientists figure out the important stuff we need, mathematicians prove the important stuff we have to know, and technologists make the important stuff work. That's a pretty significant thing to be a part of, and it means STEM will always be necessary and cutting-edge interesting. (Feel free to interchange "important" and "cool" by demographic, or possibly drop the modifier all together.)

Wide Applicability/Broad Horizons: This is a very hands-on, project-oriented environment which contrasts with most other high school experiences and will put your kids light-years ahead in college. In fact, even if they decide not to pursue STEM in college, the "soft skills" they've developed will benefit them throughout their education and their life.

Great Careers: Of today's 20 fastest-growing careers, 19 are STEM-related. Of the 30 highest-paying careers, all but 6 of them are STEM-based. STEM professionals actually create wealth, and the world will always need them (and pay them). I know that's are pretty dry (though not entirely un-compelling); it might be useful to have a then-and-now alumni recap. (Of course the Academy doesn't have alumni, but I hear DASD has some outstanding extra-curricular STEM programs, wonder what they are...)

Don't they need to be utter geniuses/won't this be too hard?
Certainly not. This isn't a "weed out" program, it's a highly effective (hands-on, fun, creative, etc) method of teaching your kids what they want to learn in the way they want to learn it.


On another note, if our students get it, why not ask them how'd they sell it?* Granted, half their parents will be there working when you ask them, and more than half the kids will want to smack me for the extra work, but I'll take the hit if you think it's worth testing their acting abilities. Come to think of it, parents may have something to say themselves (as parents, STEMers, and former childhood dreamers).
Basically, my point is that despite every kid's rock star dream, I wonder if personal isn't better. We all tell our parents and mentors we want to be rock stars, but in reality we just want to be the people we're talking to. If you want examples--as cool as Westwind is--I'd start there. I mean, I'm no parent, but if you were trying to convince me to go to STEM, I think five minutes talking with Clem [1640's head FRC mentor] would be infinitely more convincing than five minutes of reading Dean's Wikipedia page.


* Yes, yes, suggester goes first. If I was five years younger and trying to convince my mom to send me to STEM, I'd say that engineering makes me feel like I'm [I]doing something--primarily because I am doing something. It lets me embody who I am and who I want to be in something that can really help people. It lets me imagine and actually interact with the world, in way without which I'd feel entirely unfulfilled. It lets me get to know people not just for what they say or even how they act, but for what they do and how they think--or rather what we can do and think together. The Academy would give me a chance to do that at school, in essence as my job, for four years, and then go on to college where I’d already have those skills and experiences to build on. Probably too individual an explanation from someone too obsessed to understand non-STEM addictions, but then again my mom's pretty easy to convince.

[daveed007]

Also keep in mind that "engineering" is an extremely encompassing term. Your academy for instance, is really teaching science, technology, and math, which combined with some problem-solving really creates the field of engineering. An engineering degree opens doors to all sorts of careers. For example, I decided to get an Mechanical Engineering degree largely due to FIRST, and after college decided to enter the world of finance, and high-frequency trading in particular. Among my other options at the time were jobs in consulting, federal law enforcement (the FBI LOVES engineers), technical law, etc. There are plenty of engineers at my firm and in the industry, successfully competing against the best and brightest finance/math/physics phd's from Ivy League schools. My point is that engineering doesn't teach you how to build robots, it gives you the skills to solve problems, which is desirable in pretty much any career. I know I, as a new parent, would love to hear that from anyone trying to pitch an education to my daughter.

By the way, we only hire for 2 positions in our entire firm of 150+, from top to bottom. Tell me this doesn't sound like an exceptional engineer.
http://allstontrading.com/Site/The%20People%20We%20Need.html