{"id":3319,"date":"2018-02-27t17:40:03","date_gmt":"2018-02-27t17:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snyder-associates.u5fz9z3h-liquidwebsites.com\/?p=3319"},"modified":"2024-02-23t14:35:45","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23t20:35:45","slug":"igniting-inspiration-engineering-wonder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.dicovercards.com\/igniting-inspiration-engineering-wonder\/","title":{"rendered":"igniting inspiration in the engineering profession"},"content":{"rendered":"

promoting engineering through community outreach<\/span><\/h2>\n

for thousands of years, engineers have been changing the world through the development of new technologies and systems that make our lives better. modern engineers have taken that notion even further with the ongoing creation of life-saving medicines and earth-friendly transportation networks \u2014 turning the once unimaginable, into reality.<\/p>\n

as we acknowledge the remarkable feats that engineers contribute to society, we’re reminded of the importance of celebrating the difference our work makes to our individual communities \u2014 and the ever-present need to promote and engage with the next generation of engineers. for the engineers at snyder & associates, this idea is more than just a tagline. our professionals spend countless hours every year reaching out to the youth in their respective communities to help provide insight into this rewarding career.<\/p>\n

mathcounts\u00ae: helping students build confidence<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"cindyfor two snyder & associates civil engineers, giving back includes a deep involvement with the mathcounts program through their respective chapters of the iowa engineering society (ies).<\/p>\n

former mathcounts participant turned board member, cindy spencer, p.e., civil engineer, utilizes the program to inspire and help students build confidence. \u201ci first became involved with mathcounts as a 7th<\/sup> and 8th<\/sup>-grade student. the program challenged me to do my best and helped build the confidence i needed to tackle more complex problems,\u201d says spencer. \u201cif i can help others have that same experience, then i feel i\u2019ve achieved something important.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"elizabethin our council bluffs office, civil engineer and planner, elizabeth hunter, p.e., aicp, leed ap, views her work organizing mathcounts events as the perfect opportunity to promote stem topics. \u201cmany young people may not even be aware of some of the exciting career paths they could pursue. mathcounts lets us open their eyes to the possibilities, potentially sparking an interest for the next generation of engineers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

snyder employees and other mathcounts volunteers scored a recent competition.<\/p><\/div>\n

for over 30 years, mathcounts has worked to empower middle school students nationwide to reach their full mathematics potential through enriching, extracurricular activities. at its core, the program builds problem-solving skills through four levels of competition in which students compete alongside and against their peers. this year marks spencer\u2019s 8th<\/sup> year on the central iowa chapter mathcounts board. for hunter, her involvement stretches back nearly 7 years.<\/p>\n

while most of spencer\u2019s work as a board member involves 2022世界杯32强预选赛 for the competition and scoring on the day of the event, what she enjoys most is meeting the students and helping them connect their skills with real-world applications. during a typical competition, spencer has the kids solve a problem utilizing multiplication to address a common engineering task.<\/p>\n

\u201cby highlighting the practical applications of their skills, students get a better understanding of how they can utilize their talent outside of the competition and classroom,\u201d she states. \u201cit\u2019s fun to show students how engineers help shape the world. maybe they\u2019ll become\u00a0inspired by what we do and\u00a0make it their career goal<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

supporting career discovery & readiness<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

for snyder & associates\u2019 engineering technician katie wade, career outreach activities<\/a> are the perfect opportunity to inspire.<\/p>\n

\u201cit\u2019s fun to help raise awareness of engineering careers,\u201d she says. \u201cyour career is a big decision. if i can spark a glimmer in the eye of one student and shine some light on the darkness surrounding what they want to do, then i\u2019ve made a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

engineering technicians jessica sundquist and katie wade share career information with students.<\/p><\/div>\n

recently, wade and her colleagues participated in the des moines area community college (dmacc) career discover days, which encourages 8th<\/sup> to 12th<\/sup>-grade students to explore a variety of careers by touring area businesses, connecting with professionals, and participating in hands-on activities.<\/p>\n

during the event, wade and her colleagues presented an overview of their careers, answered questions, and shared real-life project examples with more than 50 students.<\/p>\n

as a mother, wade says it\u2019s important to let kids know there\u2019s a middle ground between a four-year degree and going to work right out of high school. she points to her\u00a0role as an engineering technician as one of many career fields that pay well and are in high demand<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cwe\u2019re searching nationally and can\u2019t get our hands on enough engineering technicians, they just don\u2019t exist,\u201d states wade. \u201ci think what we do is fun and by sharing information, i hope others might want to do the same because the demand is so great.\u201d<\/p>\n

reflecting on her career outreach experience, wade says a common misconception students have is they must be good at math to succeed as an engineering\u00a0technician.<\/p>\n

\u201cit\u2019s about using the same type of techniques to solve a problem,\u201d she explains. \u201cwe\u2019re here to solve problems, and you must want to be a part of that. the challenges we face and the software we use are evolving at a phenomenal rate<\/a>, so it\u2019s important to be a lifelong learner and enjoy problem-solving.\u201d<\/p>\n

inspiring engineering across borders<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"as a member of nebraska\u2019s professional chapter of engineers without borders (ewb-ne), barbara johnston, p.e., civil engineer for snyder & associates omaha office<\/a>, has positioned herself to help improve community quality of life<\/a> in malagana, colombia.<\/p>\n

\u201cwe volunteer in colombia to help address\u00a0water quality<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0wastewater treatment<\/a>\u00a0concerns,\u201d explains johnston. \u201cthe community expressed a strong interest in our work, and local kids shadowed us throughout the day to learn more about what we do. we had different groups learning about percolation tests, taking water samples, and\u00a0surveying<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

local children are excited to learn from the ewb-ne team.<\/p><\/div>\n

founded in 2002 by dr. bernard amadei,\u00a0engineers without borders<\/a>\u00a0is a community-driven program that strives to\u00a0build a better world through engineering and community empowerment<\/a>. at the center of each project is a three-way partnership between ewb, the community, and a local partnering organization that\u2019s essential to success.<\/p>\n

\u201ccommunity partnerships help us learn about the community\u2019s reality, culture, resources, limitations, and data availability,\u201d states susana lizcano, ph. d., president of ewb-ne. \u201ceveryone is\u00a0committed to making their community a better place<\/a>. they\u2019re responsive, dedicated, and resourceful.\u201d<\/p>\n

reflecting on her experience, johnston says she\u2019ll never forget the appreciation expressed by members of the community.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cthey prepared a thank-you celebration with tons of people from the community, which was a total surprise,\u201d she shares. \u201cit was humbling to see them express so much gratitude for our work, and it was fun to dance with the people we had been working alongside all week.\u201d<\/p>\n

johnston is passionate about seeing the project through and looks forward to another opportunity to ignite inspiration abroad. \u201cit was awesome to see the kids so intrigued by our work and eager to learn,\u201d she exclaims. \u201ci\u2019ll definitely be ready to go back when the opportunity arises.\u201d<\/p>\n

at snyder & associates, we\u2019re always looking beyond engineering \u2014 focusing on improving the quality of life within the communities we serve and call home, as well as the effect our work can have a world away. but we never lose sight of what\u2019s truly important \u2014 inspiring the next generation to take up the mantle of this rewarding career and helping them recognize the power in their hands and minds to make a positive impact that reaches far beyond work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

snyder & associates employees reflect on the multitude of ways they inspire interest in engineering locally, regionally, and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":26355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t\n