Newswise — Last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico spotlighted the need to develop economically and environmentally responsible forms of energy in the face of growing global demand. This year, American high school students will work to solve the “supply and demand” problem as the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) launches its annual TEAMS competition.
With the 2011 theme, “Smarter Energy, Cleaner Planet,” TEAMS will show students firsthand how engineers in various disciplines, including environmental engineers, civil engineers, and mechanical engineers tackle the energy crisis and the global need for diversification, efficiency, security and ecological sustainability.
Some 10,000 ninth- to 12th-grade TEAMS participants will gather for one-day events over a four-week period from February 14 through March 15 at 130 competition sites in 43 states and the District of Columbia, including 64 colleges and universities (listing at www.JETS.org). The students will then make real-world connections between math and science to engineering by solving actual engineering scenarios.
In solving specific energy-related issues, TEAMS students will be challenged to:- consider how we become less dependent on a few resources and diversify our energy supply to include not just crude oil and natural gas, but nuclear, wind, solar, biomass, hydroelectric and geothermal.
- identify technologies that make our homes, vehicles, buildings and industries more energy efficient.
- safeguard a country’s energy infrastructure from both an importing and exporting resources standpoint.
- brainstorm ideas to keep the environment clean and safe from emissions and pollution.
“By focusing on the struggle to meet the world’s growing energy needs, TEAMS not only introduces today’s students to one of the most pressing issues of our time, but also introduces them to engineers’ key role in addressing and solving society’s problems,” said Linda Snow-Solum, JETS president. “It’s all part of JETS 60 year mission to inspire the next generation of engineers.”
In March, JETS will announce “Best in State” awards for student teams at both the 11/12 and 9/10 grade levels in the participating 43 states and the District of Columbia.
The two highest ranking level teams in the country will take top honors as the “Best Overall” and will be announced in April 2011. They will receive a $2,500 cash prize, team trophy, student medals and certificates.
Like the other signature JETS programs, the purpose of TEAMS is to encourage more American students to pursue engineering by showing them just how engineering impacts everyday life and how engineers help solve social and community problems – from building roads and bridges, to developing water purification systems for developing countries, to inventing alternative sources of energy to fuel our cars and keep our homes warm and cool.
About JETSJETS is a national non-profit education organization dedicated to promoting engineering and helping students discover their potential for the profession.
A solid framework of high school educators, corporations, professional organizations and universities incorporate JETS pre-college engineering programs in local communities throughout the United States. Employing a unique and innovative approach—Explore, Assess, Experience—thousands of diverse students are enticed to pursue engineering majors and careers each year. JETS programs touch more than 40,000 students and 10,000 educators from 6,000 high schools across the country. JETS participants are a diverse group – more than 50 percent are from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in engineering and technology fields, including one-third who are female.
For more information, please visit, www.JETS.org.
2011JETS TEAMS Host SitesAlaska ASCE Anchorage Branch
Alabama ASMDA/CCC Tennessee Valley Auburn University
Arkansas University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Arizona Arizona State University
California Stanford UniversityUniversity of Southern California
ColoradoWestwood College
Connecticut University of New Haven
Washington, D.C. The George Washington University
Delaware University of Delaware
Florida FAMU-FSU College of EngineeringFlorida International University
Georgia Atlanta University Center University of Georgia
Iowa Des Moines Public SchoolsIowa City West High SchoolIowa Central Community CollegeNorthwest Area Education Agency
Idaho Boise State UniversityUniversity of Idaho-Moscow
IllinoisIllinois Institute of Technology (Wheaton Campus)Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago Campus)Normal Community High School
Indiana Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyTrine UniversityPurdue University Calumet
Kentucky Murray State UniversityUniversity of Kentucky
LouisianaNicholls State University
MassachusettsHarvard University
Maryland Frederick, MD NSBE Alumni/Bechtel
Michigan Michigan Technological University/NSBE
Minnesota Itasca Community College
Missouri DeVry University, Kansas City CampusMissouri State UniversitySt. Louis Community College at Florissant ValleyUniversity of Missouri-Columbia
North Carolina East Carolina UniversityNorth Carolina State UniversityUniversity of North Carolina-Charlotte
North Dakota North Dakota State UniversityUniversity of North Dakota
Nebraska University of Nebraska-LincolnWayne State College
New Jersey New Jersey Institute of Technology
New York Clarkson UniversityMonroe Professional Engineers Society
OhioBelmont Technical CollegeOhio Northern UniversityOhio University-AthensThe University of ToledoUniversity of AkronUniversity of Cincinnati
Oklahoma Mingo Valley Christian School
Pennsylvania Bucknell UniversityNorthwest Tri-County: McLane Church, Edinboro, PAPenn State University-FayettePenn State University-Wilkes BarrePine-Richland High SchoolUpper St. Clair High SchoolWarwick High SchoolWidener University
South Carolina Greenville Technical College
Tennessee Vanderbilt University
Texas Industrial High SchoolMidwestern State UniversityUniversity of HoustonUniversity of Texas at BrownsvilleUniversity of Texas at DallasUniversity of Texas at San Antonio
Utah University of Utah
Virginia Liberty UniversityNorfolk State University
Washington Seattle University
Wisconsin Milwaukee School of Engineering
West Virginia West Virginia University
Wyoming University of Wyoming
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