Fueling Futures: TTU Engineering Fair Sparks Creativity and Inspires the Next Generation of Engineers at the Science Spectrum

On Saturday, March 2, the Student Organizations of the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, along with area high school engineering clubs, held the annual TTU Engineering Fair at the Science Spectrum. It was a great day to learn about science in unique ways and have some family fun. 

The free event was held in the lobby of the Science Spectrum to showcase to families the different types of hands-on engineering-based activities, see real-world examples of how technology and research go into areas like solar,wind,drones and robotics. It's a great way to introduce engineering to children and allows parents to ask questions about the specific field. On the educational side, it allowed children to have the creative freedom to use their imagination while interacting with the various organizations. 

Among some of the organizations were the STEM Outreach Raiders. They were showcasing some drones and talked about some of the drone battle events they participate in as well as featuring some of the robotics that they compete with throughout the nation. Another fun project that kids were gravitating towards was the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. At their booth, they allowed the children to build a helicopter out of paper and plastic to show how simple items like rubber bands and plastic propellers can createlift to propel the helicopter up into the air.  The Society of Women Engineers also had kids smiling from ear to ear by showing how a straw can move along a string using the air stored in a balloon, causing it to act like a rocket with the stored force from the balloon. 

There were plenty of options for children to let their imaginations flow. You never know, a future engineer may have been inspired that day. We would like to thank all the student organizations for participating and the Science Spectrum for allowing us and the families of those that attended to have some fun with science.