By: Barb Ateljevic, Communications Coordinator

Across Canada, National Engineering Month (NEM) is a celebration of Engineering excellence, focused on reaching out to young Canadians to make them aware of the realm of possibilities that a future in Engineering and technology can hold.

National Engineering Month takes place February 28 to March 8, 2009. The week features hundreds of activities and events for over 30,000 children, teens and adults throughout Ontario communities, and at the University of Toronto.

"This is an especially great time to highlight how rewarding and exciting a future in Engineering can be," said Cristina Amon, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. "Events like Designapolooza engage our community's youth, presenting the Engineering learning environment in a fun way."

This year's theme, Design the Future, plays on the idea that engineers combine creative skills with math, science and technology to create what was once thought impossible. From the first mobile radios, hockey helmets, and the marvels of space technology, Canadian engineers have played a major role in making daily life enjoyable.

National Engineering Week (NEW) was re-branded to National Engineering Month (NEM) in October 2008 in order to provide more flexibility for each Canadian province to choose a week to best suit its needs within NEM.

Toronto Events

Designapolooza
Saturday, February 28; 12 to 4 p.m // University of Toronto, Sanford Fleming Building
The University of Toronto Engineering Society invites grade 1 to 8 students from local schools to join in an exciting afternoon of design challenges. Grades 1 to 4 will be participating in two different events: constructing a dome made of paper that can support itself and fit a group of people inside, as well as making some slime. The children in grades 5-8 will be designing a Rube-Goldberg machine to complete a simple task. For more information email David Cheung at hiskule@g.skule.ca or visit www.prospective.engineering.utoronto.ca/explore/national.htm.

Drop-in K'NEX Construction Workshops
Saturday, February 28 & Sunday, March 1; Saturday, March 7 & Sunday, March 8; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. // Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Rd.
Engineering volunteers will assist children over the age of six in creating wonderful structures using K’NEX, the popular colour-coded toy, on the two weekends of Engineering Week. Special features will include a bridge-building challenge. Workshops are free with admission. Call 416-696-1000 for information or visit www.ontariosciencecentre.ca.

5th Annual Design Challenge Construct a Bridge Competition
Tuesday, March 3; 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. // Jeanne-Lajoie Elementary School, 150 Carnforth Rd.
The Design Challenge-Construct a Bridge Group invites teams of grade 5/6 French language students from central southwest Ontario to construct bridges using supplied K'NEX or LEGO in one hour with the least amount of material (400 grams maximum) to withstand the highest load at the mid-span. Judging will be based on team cooperation, bridge aesthetics and best weight-bearing bridge. For more information, contact Mervat Rashwan, PEng, ing., at 905-763-2745 or email mervat.sil@rogers.com.

Engineering Innovation Forum
Wednesday, March 4; 6-10 p.m. // Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Rd.
Established as an open forum to focus on current topics from the engineering point of view, this event promotes the work engineers do, the way they do it and how it benefits society in general. This year's theme, "Engineering Innovations in Intelligent Transportation Systems" includes discussion of air traffic control, subway train control and expressway traffic optimization. For more information, please email Paul Annis, C.Tech., Chair, EIF at EIF@peo.on.ca or visit engineersontario.centraldesktop.com/eif.

Engineering Globalization Seminar Series
Friday, March 6; 1-2:30 p.m. // University of Toronto, Bahen Centre, Rm. BA1240
Topic: MIT's Nextlab - Can we leverage the global communication revolution to improve health, education and poverty? The goal of the series of seminars is to explore, broaden perspectives and stimulation discussion about how the research and education missions in this Faculty can directly address global challenges. Major areas where technology intersect with globalization are represented in this series of talks, including: transportation, communication technologies, food and water/energy. This is the third seminar of the series. Please check the Events Calendar at www.engineering.utoronto.ca for future seminar dates.

Engineers Without Borders at Toronto Public Libraries
Various dates; Various Toronto Public Libraries
The Toronto Public Libraries, in partnership with the Engineers Without Borders, present a series of interactive workshops as part of EWB's School Outreach program. Check www.torontopubliclibrary.ca for more info.

Earth Hour 2009 Star Party
Saturday, March 28; 8:30 p.m. // Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Rd.
Earth Hour 2009 aims to reach more than one billion people in 1,000 cities around the world, inviting communities, business and governments to switch off lights for one hour, sending a powerful global message that we care enough about climate change to take action. For more details about OSC's free Star Party, call 416-696-1000.

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