[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 31 (Monday, March 13, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 7, 2006

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise today in 
support of National Engineers Week and to especially honor three 8th-
grade students from Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District, Emily 
Duffield, Alannah Pratt, and Max Showalter from Chippewa Middle School 
in Shoreview, Minnesota, along with their teacher, Nancy Roussin and 
their volunteer professional mentor, Stefan Gantert, an engineer for 
the Rice County Highway Department in Minnesota.
  For the second time in 4 years Chippewa Middle School has won the 
National Engineers Week Future City Competition--a competition that 
encourages seventh- and eighth-graders to explore science, engineering, 
math, the arts, and writing in order to create models of future cities. 
The program requires that students work as a team to think about the 
future and apply engineering and creative concepts in the writing of an 
essay and the creation of a 3-dimensional model of a future city.
  Winning the competition required that Emily, Alannah, and Max all 
work together to problem solve real-life scenarios, to apply their 
math, computer and science skills, and to present their ideas as a 
team. It is these kinds of opportunities that allow students like 
Emily, Alannah and Max to explore interests in engineering and to be 
inspired to possibly pursue an education and career path in the math 
and sciences. We need more young men and women to enter math and 
science fields in order to have a workforce and citizenry that can 
compete on a global level and strengthen the U.S. economy.
  It is with great esteem that I rise to extend appreciation for and a 
congratulations to current engineers like Stefan and future engineers--
perhaps young men and women like Emily, Alannah, and Max who--have the 
creative vision and the critical math and science skills to imagine and 
create a better world in which to live, work, and play.

                          ____________________