NEM Overview
Since the National Engineers Month program began in 1995, over 382,500 Oregon students have been impacted, thanks to classroom visitations by 7,000 volunteers.
Through age-appropriate presentations and demonstrations, these volunteers raise student awareness of the opportunities and rewards of working in a STEM-related field.
In February 2013 alone, volunteer participants visited 600 classrooms across Oregon, engaging with more than 17,500 students!
The Business Education Compact (BEC) provides all resources for Partners, Volunteers and Teachers to participate. This includes easy online registration, program instructions, template slideshows, experiment samples, presentation tips, and volunteer training and support. The BEC also matches volunteers with teachers based on preferences identified when they register.
The goal of NEM is to make math and science real to students by showing them, first-hand, the exciting and creative things that professionals working in the engineering and technology fields can do. Volunteers ignite the classroom with real-world knowledge and experience, sharing the many rewarding career opportunities available for students in the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
Through the class presentation and interactive demonstration, STEM volunteers:
- Enlighten students to a world of STEM careers
- Encourage students to maintain a sense of wonder and inquiry
- Excite students about the possibilities open to those who excel in science and math
Skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are essential to the future health of our economy. The United States, long considered a global leader in technological innovations, is facing formidable competition. The key to long-term leadership lies in creating a robust pipeline of future STEM professionals—beginning in the K-12 system. But there’s ample reason for concern.
The Nation’s Report Card reveals that only 21% of twelfth graders scored proficient or above in science in 2009 testing. The classroom encounters by STEM volunteers increase the likelihood that students will pursue the kind of careers on which our economy depends.
Who Can Participate
Signup for National Engineers Month 2014 begins in the fall.
For Partners:
NEM is sponsored by community partners of the BEC and includes many local and national companies and organizations. These involved partners generously sponsor the program and provide classroom volunteers, supporting the extensive resources required to orchestrate a program of this magnitude.
NEM Partners represent a wide variety of industries including high tech, transportation, bioscience, manufacturing, clean energy, utilities, and natural resources.
For Volunteers:
Volunteers must work for or be a member of an NEM Partner organization to participate. Volunteers represent a wide variety of personnel working in STEM-related career fields including engineers, technicians, IT professionals and HR representatives.
For Teachers:
Oregon teachers in grades 3-12 are invited to request a classroom presentation each year. Volunteers are welcome to present in any K-12 class of their choosing. The BEC also recruits teachers in other areas based on NEM partner requests. NEM is a free service for schools.
General Timeline
Sep-DecTeacher Registration
Nov-JanVolunteer Registration
JanuaryVolunteers schedule presentations
FebruaryVolunteers present in classrooms
Benefits of Class Visits
- Expose students to practicing STEM professionals
- Educate students about opportunities in STEM-related careers
- Excite students about the rewards of pursuing careers in STEM
- Encourage students to persist in math and science
- Support state standards for relevancy in teaching and learning