110 HRES 917 EH: Supporting the goals and ideals of National U.S. House of Representatives 2008-02-13 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 917 In the House of Representatives, U. S., February 13, 2008 RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week, and for other purposes.

Whereas National Engineers Week has grown into a formal coalition of more than 75 professional societies, major corporations, and government agencies, dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers among all young students, by promoting pre-college literacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and raising public understanding and appreciation of engineers’ contributions to society; Whereas February 17–23, 2008, has been designated by the President as National Engineers Week and the theme is Engineers Make a World of Difference; Whereas National Engineers Week, which was founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, is among the oldest of America’s professional outreach efforts; Whereas National Engineers Week is celebrated during the week of George Washington’s birthday to honor the contributions that our first President, a military engineer and land surveyor, made to engineering; Whereas for one outreach program alone, the National Engineers Week Future City Competition, more than 1,100 schools and 32,000 middle school students participate annually and 7,500 volunteers donate more than 225,000 hours; Whereas during National Engineers Week, more than 45,000 engineers connect with some 5,500,000 students and teachers in kindergarten through high school as they help students and teachers determine practical applications of their academics and help students discover that STEM subjects can be fun; Whereas National Engineers Week activities at engineering schools and in other forums are encouraging all our young math and science students to see themselves as possible future engineers and to realize the practical picture of knowledge; Whereas National Engineers Week sponsors are working together to transform the engineering workforce through the better inclusion of women and underrepresented minorities; Whereas engineers from all disciplines send a new message to today’s youth: engineers change the world, save lives, protect the Earth, and make a world of difference; Whereas engineers are working together to mesh diversity and collaboration worldwide, whether reaching for the stars, building global networks, or helping today’s young students prepare for their futures; Whereas engineers use their professional, scientific, and technical knowledge and skills in creative and innovative ways to fulfill society’s needs; Whereas engineers have helped meet the major technological challenges of our time—from rebuilding towns devastated by natural disasters to designing an information superhighway that will speed our country into the future; Whereas engineers are a crucial link in research, development, and demonstration in transforming scientific discoveries into useful products, and we will look more than ever to engineers and their knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of the future; Whereas engineers play a crucial role in developing the consensus engineering standards that permit modern economies and societies to exist; and Whereas the 2006 National Academy of Sciences report entitled Rising Above the Gathering Storm highlighted the worrisome trend that fewer students are now focusing on engineering in college at a time when increasing numbers of today’s 2,000,000 United States engineers are nearing retirement: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1)supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week and its aim to increase understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers and to promote literacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (2)will work with the engineering community to make sure that the creativity and contribution of that community can be expressed through research, development, standardization, and innovation.

Lorraine C. Miller, Clerk.