Here are strategies to build upon Engineers Week. Together, we —teachers, after-school staff, engineers, parents, and interested adults—can transform a spark of interest that starts with Engineers Week into a lifetime passion. Together, we can inspire the next generation of engineers!

1. Educators make sure to thank the engineers who partnered with you on Engineers Week this year. During the school year when you see an example of the role models’ influence send an email that lets them know the lasting impact they made on your students and on you.
2. Engineers, get involved and (and stay involved) as a role model. Learning math and science may not turn a kid on to engineering, but getting to know and work with role models who share their passion for work can.  Check with your local Society of Women Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers, and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers groups that are involved in outreach; they can help support your involvement with school and community groups.  
3. It’s important to prepare role models and kids in advance of visits to make them positive and productive. Techbridge has resources that build upon 16+ years of experience.  DiscoverE also offers robust resources for volunteers and educators. You can find self-guided tutorials and presentations to help present engineering activities and engaging messages to kids.
4. Show kids that they can make the world a better place with engineering. As a role model, make explicit how engineering helps you help others. As a teacher or parent, highlight examples in the news of engineering being used for positive social impact. There are lots of examples to draw from by Design Squad, Engineer Your Life, and EngineerGirl.
5. Advocate to make engineering available to all students, beginning early on. It shouldn’t matter what family a child is born into or what school she attends. Let’s play fair with the introduction to engineering in every elementary school to help level the playing field. Engineering is Elementary offers great curriculum and professional development to support engineering in school and after school in the elementary grades.
6. Support parents to support their kids. Help parents understand that they don’t need to be a college graduate or an engineer to encourage their child in engineering.  It’s their support and encouragement that matter. With Curiosity Machine kids and families can engage in fun projects and get help on their work from engineers. Science Buddies offers plenty of project ideas for families to work on at home.
7. Share opportunities that can help kids explore their interest in engineering throughout the year. Check out Engineering Go For It (eGFI) for summer programs, weekend workshops, and essay and video contests for kids in your community. Try and offer help to make these opportunities accessible to kids who may need assistance with applications and transportation.
8. Save the date for next year’s Discover Engineers Week—February 19-25, 2017. I encourage you to reach out and support youth who are not likely to know an engineer. Invite students to help plan next year’s Engineers Week. From experience, I’ve seen how this provides a great leadership opportunity for students. They can make the calls and invite engineers to a class or after-school program and plan logistics. Best yet, by giving them ownership, your event is likely to appeal to kids.
9. Spread the word about LinkEngineering with colleagues and friends. Let’s share resources, successes, and lessons learned for introducing kids to engineering each and every day.

I hope these ideas help you keep the momentum going long after Engineers Week.