DiscoverE’s annual National Engineers Week kicked off February 17 with events in Washington and around the U.S. The annual event, launched in 1951 by the National Association of Professional Engineers, emphasizes the impact of engineering on everyday life and encourages young people to pursue engineering careers. The 2019 edition's theme is Engineers Invent Amazing.

A coalition of 70 engineering, education and cultural societies and 30 corporations and government agencies Source: DiscoverESource: DiscoverEsponsor the week. Local engineering groups across the U.S. hold E-Week themed programs to raise public awareness of engineers’ contributions to public life.

Future City Competition finals are one of the week’s highlights; winners will be announced Tuesday, February 19, in Washington. This multiple award-winning international competition gives students in sixth through eighth grades the opportunity to address a specific problem in city sustainability. The 2018-2019 challenge, Powering our Future!, invites students to design a resilient power grid that can survive and recover quickly from a natural disaster. Local schools sponsor project teams that use the engineering design process as a framework for creating their cities, working with volunteer engineering mentors.

Coming up on Thursday, February 21, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day — or Girl Day — encourages working engineers and engineering educators to introduce STEM careers to school-age young women. Locally based programs ranging from presentations of the film Dream Big - billed as the world’s first engineering film for the big screen - to hands-on engineering activities show female students that engineering professions have a place for them. Check back in to Engineering360 for an article about Girl Day!

DiscoverE sponsors other engineering-focused activities throughout the year, including the Global Marathon on March 6 and the Global Day of the Engineer on April 3. Engineers are encouraged to participate in DiscoverE's first-ever global survey of engineers -- results will be announced on April 3.