-- help ensure a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce
by increasing interest in engineering and technology careers
-- promote pre-college literacy in math and science
-- increase public understanding and appreciation of engineers' many and
varied contributions to improving the quality of life.
Engineers Week observances around the U.S. will include career fairs,
virtual problem-solving games, webcast interviews with engineers, student
competitions, television and radio specials, museum events, and other
activities.
Among SPIE's ongoing and recent programs supporting engineering education
are:
-- Support of an educators' workshop in Romania
-- Training in North America and Europe in Hands-On Optics, a program for
middle-school educators developed by SPIE, the Optical Society of America,
and the American National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), with a
grant from the American National Science Foundation (NSF)
-- Participation in programs providing the SPIE Digital Library at low or
no cost for designated countries, primarily in Africa, South and Central
America, and Asia, to facilitate research in developing countries with
limited resources for science
-- Sponsorship of UNESCO Active Learning in Optics and Photonics (ALOP)
workshops for physics teachers in developing countries, with two workshops
planned in Africa this year
-- Collaborative Conference Grants for student leadership workshops, such
as an upcoming event supported by five SPIE student chapters in Poland
-- A Visiting Lecturer program, providing speakers who are world-class
scientists and engineers in optics and photonics
-- Sponsorship of the Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical
Physics (ICTP) Winter College activities, presented under the auspices of
the Italian government and two United Nations agencies, to foster advanced
studies and research in the physical sciences, especially in developing
countries
-- Support of the China Adolescents Science and Technology Innovation
Contest (CASTIC) in cooperation with the Children and Youth Science Center
at China Association for Science and Technology
-- Education Outreach Grant awards totaling approximately $60,000
annually.
Proficiency in science and mathematics is a concern worldwide. The recently
released Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) measuring
science, reading, and mathematics skills of 15-year-old students in 57
countries found low proficiency levels in both developed and developing
countries. The report adds to a sense of urgency regarding the need for
increased support for science, technology, and mathematics education.
About SPIE: SPIE is an international society advancing an interdisciplinary
approach to the science and application of light. Serving the interests of
its more than 188,000 active constituents representing 138 different
countries, SPIE acts as a catalyst for collaboration among technical
disciplines for information exchange, continuing education, publishing
opportunities, patent precedent, and career and professional growth. As the
organizer and sponsor of approximately 25 major conferences and education
programs annually in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific,
SPIE provides publishing, speaking, and learning opportunities on emerging
technologies. SPIE was founded in 1955 as the Society for Photographic
Instrumentation Engineering. For more information, visit http://SPIE.org.
Contact Information: Media Contact: Amy Nelson + 1 360 685 5478