INNOVATION May-June 2012

This year along with a popsicle stick bridge building competition, the Fraser Valley Branch also ran a workshop for their bridge- building contestants. “Our goal was to increase the visibility of the engineering profession in the community and also to get the kids fired up about engineering and science,” said Amil Lindsay, Chair of the Fraser Valley Branch. The workshop allowed branch volunteers to provide students with background information on bridge design and was also a great opportunity to register more children for the Fraser Valley Branch bridge-building event. Many of the students who participated in the workshop used a truss design on their bridges and ended up in the top tier of their judging category. The Richmond/Delta Branch held their first popsicle stick bridge competition since the revitalization of their branch earlier this year. The 80 participants at this event were asked to create the strongest bridge possible out of 100 Popsicle sticks and some white glue, one that was large enough for a matchbox car to traverse from one side to the other. The Sea to Sky Branch’s 12 th Annual Bridge Building Competition on the North Shore drew in a large crowd filled with participants,

family members and the general public at Capilano Mall in North Vancouver. The North Vancouver competition and the Sechelt competition (now in its second year) have continued to grow, engaging a total of 320 students. The branch volunteers’ efforts to engage both students and members of the public on the importance of engineering and geoscience in their lives continue to be an integral part of the continuity of the professions. While bridge building competitions are a large part of NEGM, many branches engage in other activities. In Kelowna, the Okanagan Branch in conjunction with the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan Campus held their Annual Edible Car Competition. Over 25 participants built cars using only edible materials and competed in the race. Back in the Lower Mainland, the Vancouver Branch held their 16 th Annual E-Fest event. E-fest, which takes place at the Vancouver Public Library, allows families to learn more about engineering and geoscience. Through the use of interactive displays, volunteers illustrated how many facets of engineering and geoscience impact our daily life. Thanks to the branches another year has brought another successful NEGM. Thank you to all the volunteers who made it happen! v

National Engineering and Geoscience Month Drawing Contest Winners

This year, APEGBC held its first ever National Engineering and Geoscience Month Drawing Contest. To get kids thinking about engineering and geoscience, we asked children ages 4 to 12 to draw “what engineering or geoscience means to you” on an 8.5” X 11” piece of paper for a chance to win a $50 Chapters gift card. After receiving over 75 colourful entries from around the province, we’re pleased to present our winning entries in each age category:

[JordanLegg.pdf]

[AnnikaPeterson.pdf]

chouten.pdf]

Third Place: Rachel Schouten, Age 5

Ages 4-5

First Place: Jordan Legg, Age 5

Second Place: Annika Peterson, Age 5

nshahi.pdf]

[AlexGalpin.pdf]

[]

Third Place: Timothy Jin, Age 8

Ages 6-8

First Place: Kiana Jahanshahi, Age 8

Second Place: Alex Galpin, Age 8

Ages 9-12

[Ava Stancato.p

[TrentSuzuki.pdf]

[EvanHuang.pdf]

Second Place: Trent Suzuki, Age 12

First Place: Ava Stancato, Age 9

Third Place: Evan Huang, Age 10

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