Engineer IT 2015 Success!
October 29, 2015 —Baton Rouge, LA - Engineer IT 2015 was a great success Thursday, October 29 from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lee Magnet High School, 4510 Bawell St. The theme of the event was “Invasive Species: A Challenge to the Environment, Economy and Society,” bringing together EBR 8th graders, who had been nominated by their middle schools, to engineer a solution to combat invasive species in Louisiana. The event was co-sponsored by Louisiana Women in Technology (LaWIT) and the Foundation for East Baton Rouge School System (EBRSS), with CK Associates, IBM and Lee High.
The goal of the event was to increase student interest in STEM and preparedness for the STEM workforce. Mentored by a local engineering firm, students had a unique opportunity to actively explore and address a relevant environmental problem and at the same time gain greater insight into the life of a working STEM professional. This event also served as an opportunity for teams to prep for participation in the 2016 Louisiana Envirothon, hosted by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ).
“No doubt, the long term growth and success of our economy, right here in the Capital Area, will depend on strengthening and diversifying our skilled workers. And that’s our common goal here,” says Sara Moore, co-founder of LaWIT and Environmental Scientist with CK Associates. “We want to inspire these students, to give them a shot at those exciting and rewarding careers, by showing them firsthand what a future in STEM has to offer.”
“The environmental education focus of the project raises awareness of issues impacting the environment upon which we all depend, as well as actions we can take to improve and sustain it. Environmental engineering is a great example of a growing STEM career path,” says Kim Fossey, program director for STEMup Baton Rouge, an initiative of the Foundation for EBRSS. “Engineer IT day is a wonderful example of nonprofits and local industry taking a role in improving our local education and creating opportunities for students to tackle STEM projects outside of the classroom.”
Check out some photos from the event!
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