Purpose

The purpose of National Engineers Week is to draw attention to the many positive aspects of engineering and engineers. It is a week of fun socials, community outreach, intellectual stimulation, and pride in a profession.

E-Week @ CMU

The E-week series of programs was revived at Carnegie Mellon two years ago. The week is spotted with a number of social or service oriented events, and then is culminated with SWE Ball, a semi-formal dance, at the end of the week. Important traditional events have been:

• Mr. Engineer: The official kickoff to E-week, Mr. Engineer was a new addition to the e-week schedule in 2007. A satirical and technical spin-off of Ms. America, one male contestant of each engineering department is asked to showcase their personal talent, their fashion and craftsmanship with an engineered suit of duct tape, as well as their knowledge in the question and answer section.
• Engineering Carnival: An opportunity for young children to see how fun engineering is. Students in engineering organizations put together games and activities that impart some knowledge of engineering, yet are fun for folks of all ages. Candy and prizes are awarded to the children that take their time to explore the multitude of booths.
• Ice Cream Social: Traditionally sponsored with National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the ice cream social is just as the name implies. Designed to be a blast for CMU engineers and their sweet tooth.
• Introduce a Girl to Engineering: Probably the largest outreach event of the week and the most central to the mission of the Society of Women engineers. In order to present the positive side of engineering to young females who may have an interest in the profession, SWE provides mentors to the high school girls for half the day. These mentors serve as guides and advisors as they take the high school girls to classes and show them around campus. The day ends with an informational luncheon which is designed to present the field of engineering, how it’s taught at Carnegie Mellon, and to answer any questions that the high school girls might have.
• Ice Skating: Being an engineer is fun, and ice skating is just another way of showing it. Head on up to Schenley ice rink. Entrance is free, just pay for the skates.
• Pinewood Derby: It’s just a few advertisements away from NASCAR! Traditionally co-sponsored with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Pinewood Derby is an opportunity for any engineer to build the fastest speedster, using only gravity as the engine. Food for the participants and observers, and prizes for the winners.
• Department Breakfasts: E-week is about taking pride in being an engineer, and a free breakfast snack can do just that. Student organizations in each of the five departments take turns sponsoring breakfast in Doherty Hall to students on their way to class. Muffins and a smile can ensure a good day.

E-Week 2008

To keep the E-week program growing and thriving, some changes are going to be made to the week’s list of programs. Most notably are:

• International Engineering Symposium: An event co-sponsored with SWE and IAESTE. This will be a panel of speakers to talk about experiences with engineering outside of the United States.

The E-Week Committee

The E-week committee is comprised of fifteen members plus two chairs, all from the Society of Women Engineers. Presidents/Officers of various other engineering organizations are also brought in to help organize, plan, and execute events. A list of other engineering organizations is as follows:

BME Society	AICHE	CHE SAC
ASCE	Chi Epsilon	IEEE
WinECE	HKN	PTS
ASME	ASM	MSE SAC
TBP	NSBE	SHPE
EPP SAC

Participation from these organizations is usually in the form of sponsorship of breakfast events, booths at the engineering carnival, and occasionally one of the larger events. Organizations are also encouraged to put together their own events for the week.